On The Road - Part I
by UltimateBethylFicList
Summary: Daryl was just getting through his day, travelling across the country with his big rig. Beth was running away from it all. What started out as innocent, turned into something more. And then the dead began to rise… AU ZA collaboration between Ayame2004 and UltimateBethylFicList
1. Chapter 1

**TRIGGER WARNING:** This story will contain mentions of attempted rape and assault. If this is something that could possibly bother you, please take caution before proceeding. All chapters that include it, will have a warning at the top.

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It was two in the morning. Daryl sat over his half eaten plate of eggs and hash browns, deciding if he wanted another cup of coffee to drive through the night or if he wanted to call it a night and move his rig and turn in. The waitress, a portly woman with a curt attitude, slammed around before him, as if annoyed that he and one other person were here keeping her somewhat busy.

He looked over his shoulder at the other patron in the diner. It was a young woman, clearly out of place, sitting quietly and asking for nothing. Daryl's irritation was growing by the second at the way the waitress was acting.

"You need anything else?" She asked bitterly. He pulled a ten dollar bill out of his pocket and slammed it down on the table with a slap. His peripheral vision noticed the blonde girl jump in her seat at his outburst.

"Nah, try not to overwork yourself." He bit back. The woman glared at him as he turned to make his way out of the diner and back to his rig. He still wasn't sure what he would do tonight, but he figured he would decide when he got back to the truck.

His hand moved to push the door open but something drew his attention back to the girl. She couldn't be more than 20. What was she doing in a place like this? And why did she look like a whipped dog? He couldn't stop himself from dropping his hand and walking over to her.

Beth had noticed the older man the minute she walked into this diner. At this time of night, she assumed him to be the owner of the big rig that was parked outside. She thought he was going to leave after his outburst, but he stopped at the door and started making his way towards her. She suddenly grew tense at what he could possibly want.

He seemed to hover around her, not quite sure of what to say but Beth could only imagine what a man like him would want at this time of night.

"I ain't that kind of girl," she sneered at him.

"Ain't lookin' for nothin' like that. Ya mind?" He asked, his hand gesturing to the seat across from her. She drew into herself and, when she didn't respond, he took that as her acceptance. "What are ya doin' in a place like this?"

"Don't matter, ain't botherin' anyone."

"Nah, but the wrong kinda person walks in here, ya ain't gunna want to be here. What's your story, girl?" Daryl knew, even though it was late, any kind of trucker could come in here and do any number of things to this girl. And he knew the bitch behind the counter would do nothing to help her. He felt compelled to help her; a distant memory from his own past, flashing in his mind.

"You tryin' to be my knight and shining armour? I can take care of myself."

"Where ya headed?" He wondered out loud. He couldn't help but notice that since he sat down, her arms were still wrapped tightly around her body and the bruises on her hands stood out like orange paint on camouflage.

"Doesn't matter. As long as it's away."

"You runnin' from something?" Beth couldn't bring herself to speak, her throat felt tight. Why was this man talking to her like he gave a shit about her? She was nobody to him. What did he stand to gain from talking to her?

The silence between them allowed for Beth to take in this man. He wasn't being threatening, he wasn't trying to pick her up, what was his deal? Beth thought she was a good judge of character but she had been burned too much in the past. She wasn't willing to trust her gut anymore but there was something about him.

Before she realized what she was saying, the words spilled out of her mouth, "Where ya goin?"

"Gotta take the truck up to Lexington, Kentucky. Drive for a production company and they need it for some basketball game." He wasn't sure why he explained more than he needed to, but he felt like it might comfort her. "Ain't supposed to pick up people along the way, but ya look like ya need to be anywhere but here."

"I can't pay you for lettin' me come with. I barely got enough for food as it is." She whispered, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"I ain't askin'' for money. And don't worry, I'll kick you out when you start to annoy me or when I come to my senses." Daryl said with a small smirk from the corner of his mouth.

Beth could finally see that he was being genuine and decided to put the last of her hope into this man and follow him. Daryl stood and headed to the door. He noticed she had yet to move to follow him.

"Ya comin'?" He asked. She shook her head and finally untangled herself from her arms and rose to follow him. She followed him to the rig and was slightly surprised when he opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated for a moment before climbing up into the passenger seat. After a few moments, he opened his door and climbed in behind the rig and closed the door.

"I'm Beth." She whispered as she tucked her legs under herself and wrapped her arms back around her body, her frame pressed against the door as if it were a lifeline to safety.

"Daryl." He grunted. He pulled out a notebook and looked over it for a moment.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"Goddamn logbook. Got six more hours before I gotta stop. Think I'll make it to Lexington before then."

Daryl looked at Beth while she sat, huddled into her seat. Thinking back to what she said before about not being able to pay him, he suddenly figured out a solution to both their problems.

"I hate filling these out, goddamn nuisance if ya ask me, but I gotta. Think you can handle this? Earn your keep while we're on the road? All ya gotta do is mark when we stop for gas, food, or sleep. And how many miles we travel." Beth nodded her head and grabbed the book from him to look it over."How long you plannin' on ridin' with me?" He asked as he fired up the rig.

She closed the book and looked at him, a far off look in her eyes. "Haven't thought that far ahead. What happens when you get where you're going?"

"Company puts me up in a hotel and I hang around til the show is over then hitch back up and hit the road. Think they have me going to Colorado next."

"I just can't go home," she mumbled, looking out the window. "Ain't no place for me there anymore so I'll stick with you till ya kick me to the curb."

Beth became emotionless with her words. Rejection was something she had been dealing with for quite some time now so she kept with the feeling that it wouldn't be changing anytime soon.

"You ain't no runaway junkie are ya?" Daryl joked but asked with a hint of seriousness. The last thing he needed was some young girl looking for her next fix. He had heard too many horror stories through the years from other drivers of them getting robbed by people they picked up along the way.

"No, I ain't like that," she responded meekly. He could tell she was telling the truth, as she looked almost insulted by the insinuation but she understood his need to protect himself. "Just got other issues. Enough that I just can't go home."

"Ain't something I should be worried about is it?" She shook her head quickly and tightened her arms around herself again.

"Nothin' like that. I just really don't wanna talk about it." Daryl nodded and turned his attention back to his truck. He understood how difficult it was to talk about the past so he decided not to pressure her or question her anymore. When and if she wanted to talk, he'd listen. The bruises on her arms were proof enough of what she had been through. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know someone had hurt her. He just didn't know who.

"Won't tell anyone you're here if you won't." He said with a smirk. "Ya look tired. There's a bed in the back. Get some rest for a few hours."

Before she was able to decline his offer, she gave off a huge yawn and conceded that a few hours would probably do her good. She wasn't sure of the last time she got a decent night's rest. She nodded her head to him and moved from the seat to the small area behind them.

The bed was slightly made, a flannel shirt thrown over the pillow. She picked it up, feeling how soft it was and looked to Daryl who was busy checking that everything was in working order.

"I don't got a change of clothes," she stammered out. He looked behind, to see her still holding his shirt in one hand with a look of trepidation.

"You can use that till we get to Lexington. Getcha some stuff to wear then." He heard her whisper a thanks as he turned back around to get the truck moving. It wasn't until he heard the zipper of her jeans that he realized what he just agreed to. She was removing her clothing directly behind him. He focused on the gauges as he put the rig into gear and pulled out of the parking spot, but he had to ignore the primal need he felt the first time he saw her.

Yes, she was gorgeous, but he wasn't his brother and at the very least he to considered himself a decent man. Why else would he have asked her along if not to help her? But seeing her in the small mirror that was installed on the dash from the last owner of this rig, he was having trouble keeping his thoughts pure. He was a decent man, but he sure as hell wasn't a saint.

As Beth slipped his shirt on, she could smell the hint of nicotine and leather. There was even the lingering of a wood scent. When she crawled into the bed and wrapped his blanket around her tight, she took notice of the bunk. It was well kept and somewhat orderly. She noticed on the back of his chair was a leather biker vest with angel wings. It was well worn but well taken care of.

On the floor, she noticed a bright green feather. She stuck her hand out to touch it and noticed what it was attached to.

"Is that a crossbow?"

"Ah, shoulda warned ya bout that. Don't travel without it." Daryl responded.

"Why?" She asked meekly, her voice barely louder than the roar of the engine.

"Use to hunt before I started drivin'. Got a handgun up here too, just in case it makes ya nervous. That bow is pretty much the only thing I own that I would risk my life for." He said with a chuckle.

"My brother took me huntin' once. The first and the last time he ever took me with him," she responded with a hint of glee to her voice. Once she realized what she said, she quickly reverted back. "Night Daryl," she whispered out and turned over to face the wall, putting what little distance she could between herself and the man. Logically, she knew a few extra inches wouldn't matter much if Daryl turned out to be like all the other men, but it gave her that much more peace of mind as she let exhaustion pull her under.

"Night Beth." He pulled out onto I-75 north and sighed into the darkness.

"Thank you." He wasn't sure he heard her thanks so he remained silent as he merged onto the interstate. This girl, this Beth, would make his travels very interesting.

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Thank you very much for reading. Please let us know what you think by leaving a review. This is our first attempt at co-writing a story but it has been so much fun.

This story will start out as AU but the ZA will eventually happen. We are taking ideas from the television series and using them but will essentially be changing up the story line to be non-canon.

Big thanks to Carla for giving us a hand and keeping us on track.

We will update this story twice a week, Fridays and Mondays.

Thanks for the love!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to all those who reviewed! 2carlaa, DarylDixon'sLover, kristen12386, BubbaSue, StephMcG, kevkye, suzisnowflake, alliesmiley2, lupadaisy, Ayame2004 (didn't you write this story?), megs27, TWDFan05, Rasha007, Guest (prompt giver), Guest, brady66, malzateb, KelseyNicole08, rebla, nightdrive23, Ela1980, Abbi, and upsydaisy2

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Beth slowly came out of her sleep, sensing noises around her and the truck starting to slow down. She opened her eyes and felt just how tired she still was. The sun was starting to shine from the front window but she was able to make out tall buildings.

She stretched out her arms and legs, and took her time to sit up. She had to hold onto the mattress slightly as the rig seemed to make a large turn and it jostled her.

"Where are we?" Beth asked, her voice riddled with sleep.

"Just gettin' here. Wait back there." Daryl said over his shoulder. The rig slowly rolled to a stop and Daryl rolled the window down.

"Here with CBS?" a man asked. Beth could see Daryl reaching for something in the visor of the truck and hand it to the man. "Alright, park her in bay 1." Daryl thanked the man and rolled the window back up before putting the rig back in gear. He inched the truck along and Beth curiously poked her head up in between the seats. She could see the concentration on his face as he expertly moved the massive vehicle around the rather small looking lot. Several moments later he was inches away from a bay door she could see in the side mirror.

"I've never been behind the scenes like this before," she smiled as she spoke. "Have you always done setups like this?"

"Never been here, but similar places. We've got an hour before the crew'll show up for power up. I need to check into the hotel around the corner." He paused for a moment, his thumb up to his lips chewing nervously on it.

"I'm not supposed to be here, am I?" She asked. He shrugged. "I can hide out in here till you get back. You shouldn't be long, right?"

"Nah, the hotel is attached to the arena. I'll go check in an' be back soon. Just hang low and we'll figure it out. Think T-Mac is opening the truck, he's pretty laid back." She nodded and settled back on the bed as he grabbed his bag from behind the passenger seat and climbed out of the rig. She watched him walk back to the security station and then back to the street.

It was now that Beth finally caught up to her feelings. This was crazy. She met this man, barely six hours ago and here she was, alone in the back of his semi-truck, in his shirt, laying on his bed. This was messed up, even for her. But even though she had a strong urge to just get up and leave, he had done nothing to provoke fear in her. If anything, he has probably been the nicest person to her since she left home.

She figured, while he was gone, she could get dressed into her clothes. Hopefully after this, they could stop and get her some essentials. With no clothes, or toiletries, she really had nothing but a few dollars on her. Also with this time, she might be able to learn more about this man by looking through his stuff.

Once dressed, she began sifting through the scarce contents of the rig. She noticed there was nothing personal in sight. No family pictures, no souvenirs, nothing but this crossbow and a few bottles of water and a jar of pigs feet. She scrunched her nose at the sight of the disgusting looking 'treat' and placed it back where she found it. She was starting to discover that this man was a bit of an enigma. Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the sound of someone banging on the door. Beth nearly jumped out of her skin and fell, rather loudly, back on the floor of the truck.

"Daryl, you in here?" A man's voice called as he opened the door. Beth began to shake slightly, her breath trapped in her lungs as she waited to see who was climbing into the rig. She caught site of an older man, mid-fifties maybe, with a mustache and thinning brown hair. He saw her immediately and froze. "Are you ok?" Beth nodded and realized how she must have looked, hiding and shaking in the back of the rig.

"I was just waitin' for Daryl." she responded as she extracted herself from her corner. The man nodded and climbed back out of the truck, leaving the door open for her to follow.

Beth was unsure if she should follow that man. She really didn't want to get Daryl into trouble for having her with him. But what would happen if she stayed where she was, would someone else find her, someone that could possibly hurt her. Beth decided to follow the man out and see if this was the same guy that Daryl told her about.

"Never known Daryl to travel with anyone. I'm Terry. Everyone calls me T-Mac." He stuck his cigarette in his mouth as he extended his hand to her.

"Beth." She offered a small smile to the man before her. He seemed kind enough. "How long you and Daryl known each other?"

"Chris usually drives for the shows I work, so Daryl and I don't work together to often. But they needed the B-unit on this job so here we are." T-Mac explained. "Where'd he go?"

"He's checking into the hotel… around the corner?" She responded with a question.

"The Hyatt. He won't be long. He's got the keys to the bay. Can't get started without him." The man snubbed out his cigarette and moved to the back of the arena, his press pass gaining him entrance to the back stadium.

Beth wanted to stay as close to the rig as possible, waiting for Daryl to get back. She was unsure of what she was allowed to do or where to go and she noticed several more people moving around the lot to the building. She decided to sit in the truck again and wait for Daryl to come back. Just as she was going to get back in, she saw Daryl come around the corner with a few papers in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth.

He noticed she was slightly tense and becoming anxious with the people wandering around so he got to her as quickly as possible.

"Why ya' out of the truck? Told ya' to stay in there," he stated grabbing the door and opening it.

"Your friend T-Mac came by looking for you. He saw me and asked if I was okay."

"Where is he?" Just as she was about to respond, they caught sight of the door T-Mac disappeared in open as the man reappeared. He walked up to them and shook Daryl's hand.

"Good to see ya, buddy. How have you been?" He asked, seemingly completely unfazed by the woman hitching a ride with a stranger. While he was addressing Daryl, he handed a small laminated card to Beth with the word "MEDIA" printed on it. Daryl took notice of it and felt a small wave of gratitude.

"Good, keepin' busy." Daryl stated blandly and the other man laughed.

"Tell me about it. These asshole's will run you into the ground. I put in 75 hours last week on a four day job. At least this one is in my home town. Got the keys? I wanna get her opened up before John gets here." Daryl nodded and fished the keys out of his pocket and turned them over to T-Mac. Beth felt out of place, not knowing if she should stand there awkwardly or move around now that she didn't have a fear of being thrown out by security.

Once T-Mac walked away to start the unloading process, Daryl took one look at Beth and sighed. "C'mon, I'll bring you to the hotel. Show you our room." He turned and started walking back where he just came from.

"Room, as in singular?" she asked nervously suddenly running to catch up to him.

"Yeah, the company only pays for one room, it would look odd if I asked for two," Beth nervousness turned into anxiety and she suddenly didn't know if this was a good idea anymore. And she wasn't certain about heading into a hotel room with him at this moment.

"Daryl! Where ya headed? I need a hand pulling out the stairs once I pop it out."

"Gunna show Beth to the room, figured it'd be better than hangin' around here." he shouted back to T-Mac.

"Then you should have taken her with you when you checked in. Beth, walk to the street and take a right and then follow the road until you see the hotel. You can't miss it." Daryl sighed and looked and Beth with unease.

"Ya' ok with that?" Daryl asked. Beth nodded and took the keycard from him and headed towards the street, thankful that she wasn't going to be put into another situation like the last time. "Room 1013." He called after her and she waved her hand in response.

Finding her way to the hotel was easy. It truly was just around the corner. But once she got inside, she suddenly felt very lost. She made her way through the front lobby, which was probably bigger than her whole house where she grew up. She managed to find the elevators and get to the 10th floor.

Once she got to the appropriate door for their room, her panic set in again. Once Daryl returned, he would probably want to sleep and she was still pretty tired so they would have to share a bed. Hopefully it was at least a queen size so they could each have some space.

Inserting the key card and opening the door, she was in for quite the surprise when she noticed two double beds instead of one. She instantly felt the tension and nervousness slip away. This room felt so fancy with its furniture and the bedding. The curtains were opened up and she was able to see the beautiful skyline of Lexington. The bathroom looked luxurious with its glass shower stall with what looked like quite the amazing shower head. She couldn't wait to take a shower in there.

Like any hotel, it had soaps and hair products on the counter. She was certain she could call to the front desk and ask for a toothbrush and toothpaste. It had definitely been awhile since she was able to feel clean, and she was going to take advantage of this while she could. But first, she would need to get a change of clothes. The ones she had on carried such terrible memories that all she wanted to do was burn them. Once Daryl returned, she would ask what she could do about that.

Sitting on the bed, closest to the door, she finally felt comfortable. She was alone and safe. No one could hurt here and that made her feel good. She took notice to Daryl's bag on the small desk. It wasn't bigger than a gym bag and yet it held his personal belongings. The only thing not in here was his crossbow, which she assumed stayed in the truck, locked up. It would seem weird for a man to be carrying a crossbow into a fancy hotel.

Laying back on the bed, her mind began to wander. She thought about her home, her family. What she left behind. All it did really was bring her emotions to the front of her mind and she shed a few tears. She never gave herself many opportunities to think about everything that happened before she left, but now, in the comfort of this warm bed, she finally let it take over. She wiped the tears away but the sadness remained until she fell asleep.

She awoke not long after she drifted off to sleep to the sound of soft knocking on the door. She stood and made her way to the door, stopping to look cautiously through the peephole to see Daryl standing on the other side. Of course, she had the only card. She quickly opened the door and let him in.

He entered silently and took notice of the wrinkled comforter where she had been lying and moved to the bed closer to the window.

"Was a bit worried ya ran. Ya looked a bit panicked back there." He admitted as he sat down on the bed.

"Aint got anywhere else to be." She countered, almost playfully, trying to ease the tension. Rationally, she understood why she was concerned. Her instincts were in overdrive after her last encounter, but Daryl was nothing like the others. He seemed kind and genuinely concerned for her. Why else would he pull her from that dingy diner in the middle of no where Tennessee and bring her here? "You know of any place I can get clothes around here?"

"I asked T-Mac since he lives here. Said there's a small shopping area in the arena but everythin' is expensive as shit. Said if I needed to borrow his car, he gave me directions to a Wal-Mart." Beth's eyes widened.

"You told him?" Daryl shrugged.

"Nothin' more than he needed to know an' enough to get what I needed to know." Beth sighed in relief, the idea of new clothes breathing new life into her. "Ya got any cash? Otherwise, I can give ya some money." Daryl offered.

"I have a bit." She murmured as she stuffed her hand into her pocket to feel the fifty dollar bill she had tucked there. "You're probably tired. You should rest first. I can go check out what's in the area." she said quickly, remembering he drove all night.

"Nah, I'm good. Just let me shower an' get cleaned up an' we'll go." He stood, grabbed his bag, and headed to the bathroom. The door clicked softly behind him.

Daryl was surprisingly quick with getting ready. Beth was quite amazed what a shower could do to that man. His hair looked neater, and the flannel shirt he wore had no sleeves. She was able to take in how muscular he was and she had to stop herself from staring at him too long. He didn't seem to notice her anyways as he just grabbed his jacket with his angel wing vest already added on. Beth only had a long sleeve shirt and she could already tell that wandering around shopping might leave her a little chilled. Daryl must have known this as he grabbed the long sleeved shirt she wore the night before and threw it at her.

Finding the Wal-Mart wasn't too hard. Having Terry's car made things a lot easier. Daryl wanted to give Beth some space to shop for her own items, so he suggested that he would go pick out some essentials for her, like a toothbrush and toothpaste.

While Beth shopped, she stayed mindful of the prices. She was only going to grab a few shirts and maybe two pairs of jeans, then she would need some new underwear and a new bra. She guessed she should grab a sweatshirt even though she did kinda adore the flannel she was wearing right now. She decided that she would just sleep in this for the time being, and maybe down the road, she could get some pajamas.

She made her way to the dressing room to try on the clothes and was relieved to find that no one was around. She grabbed the number that said five and hung it on the door handle. She made sure everything fit but when it came to the under garments, she replaced her current bra with the new one, pulling off the tags. She felt guilty for stealing, but she knew she didn't have enough money to pay for the shirts, jeans, underwear, and bra. Her father would be ashamed of her right now. But then again, he might not care considering the state he was likely in.

She put her clothes and the comfy flannel back on and exited the fitting room, shoving the old bra into a trash can under the counter as she passed. She looked up to see Daryl heading her way and she tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. He had a basket full of items but it was the backpack that was on top that surprised her. It was black with pink splatters all over it. When the finally met up in the aisle, she picked it up and gave him a questioning look.

"If you're wearing this, I can find you a lot easier," he replied. She nodded her head and looked through the rest of the basket. Inside was a hair brush and hair ties, deodorant, a pink toothbrush, travel toothpaste and tampons. She grabbed the box and just stared up at him.

"Really?" His face immediately grew red in embarrassment and he stared at the ground.

"Got everythin' I thought ya' needed," he stuttered out. She just smirked and threw it back in the basket.

"You are a real sweetheart, Daryl, you know that."

"Stop. Ya' ready to go?" he asked, still not willing to make eye contact with her.

"Yeah, I don't know if I can get all this stuff though. I'll have to leave some of this till I earn some money from ya."

"Call it an advance then. Can't have ya wandering around in my flannel for the next few weeks smellin' like shit."

"Well, I'm keeping track of all this and I'll make sure those log books are perfect down to the last mile," She said with determination, her mind already mentally tallying up the damage they were going to do at the register, sans the stolen bra under her shirt.

Once Daryl paid and they grabbed her bags, Beth made sure to take the receipt from him so she could keep tally of everything she racked up with him. She figured that until they got back on the road, she would be racking up the debt with him. But she was determined to pay him back for his kindness and generosity.

Once they got back to the hotel, Beth immediately went to the bathroom to take a long shower and just relax for the rest of the day. The shower was everything she had hoped for and more and she found herself standing under the hot spray longer than expected. Brushing her hair and braiding it and putting on new underwear felt amazing. She saw the flannel and since she felt pretty tired right now, she figured she would just put that on and go for a nap.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she noticed the lights were off in the room but there was still some sunlight coming in from the closed curtains. She could barely make it out but Daryl was fast asleep in his bed with one arm over his eyes and the other laid across his chest. The blankets were pulled up over his legs but his shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing a small amount of his torso.

She couldn't stop her eyes from raking across his body. After what she had been through in the last week, this was the last thing she expected to find herself doing, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the chiseled body of the man before her. She stepped into the space between the beds and almost tripped over his discarded jeans. Her face flushed in embarrassment at the thought of him sleeping in just this shirt and underwear.

Her eyes moved back to his face to make sure that she hadn't woken him with her clumsiness. He was still fast asleep, his arm now off his face and down at his side. She took a moment to admire his features. He was very handsome but his eyes, even in sleep, looked so sunken and tired. His long hair was, for once, off of his face, and she could see the age lines and small imperfections that looked at home on his face. She found her train of thought rather ridiculous that imperfections could be perfect and decided that it was the weight of everything the last twelve hours had held on her. She tore her eyes from him and pulled the covers back from her bed to lie down. She was asleep before she knew it with visions of a perfect V shaped abdomen filling her dreams.

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WOW, thank you all so much for all the reviews, follows and faves. We are just over the moon with excitement.

We hope you guys like Chapter 2. We get a better idea of what Daryl's job is and how Beth could fit into his life. We are going to be spending a few chapters in the pre-ZA, as these two get to know each other. Eventually the drama will come along so hang on tight!

We love reading your reviews so please keep them coming. It makes us smile!

3 Stacey and Brandy


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. DarylDixon'sLover, brinxb, Tweety, StrangersAngel, BubbaSue, brady66, nightdrive23, malzateb, kevkye, casinovixen081212, soniabell (x2), TWDFan05, Abbi, Ela1980, alliesmiley2, lupadaisy, KelseyNicole08, upsydaisy2, caseydoll5 , fritzo, megs27

The response from everyone has just been so overwhelming and Brandy and I are just over the moon. Thank you so much!

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When Beth woke to the sound of the phone ringing, she was surprised to see the clock read six am. They had both slept the entire day and night peacefully. Daryl grumbled and answered the phone.

"Yeah." He paused to allow the person on the other end to speak. "Alright, yeah. We'll head down." He hung up the phone and sat up, the comforter still wrapped around his waist.

"Beth, ya awake?" He asked. She groaned in response and lifted her head. "T-Mac needs some help. Producers won't be there for another few hours so he said ya could check out the unit." Beth became more alert at the idea of seeing the behind the scenes part of the game.

"Give me a few minutes to freshen up and we'll go." She threw the covers off her body and headed to the bathroom to splash some water on her face and change her clothes. While she was in the bathroom, her stomach rumbled reminding her that she had forgotten to eat yesterday. As if he could read her mind, there was a knock on the door and Daryl was telling her they'd grab breakfast in the lobby before they headed back to the truck.

She emerged a few minutes later, her hair tame and eyes bright. "Just need a few minutes myself." He mumbled and walked passed her and into the bathroom. She moved over to the bed and busied herself with fixing the covers back the way they were while she waited for him. Of course, he didn't take long, and before she knew it they were out the door and in the lobby grabbing muffins and OJ from the hotel's complimentary breakfast area. Once they had eaten, the made their way around the building and back to the bay, Beth clutching her media pass tightly in her hands. Terry was waiting, his customary cigarette in his hand as he messed with some very large cables attached to an open door on the truck.

"Hey, whatcha need?" Daryl asked. The older man turned and greeted them.

"I gotta get a camera moved and John hasn't shown up yet. Lazy bastard. Beth can tag along." Daryl nodded and waved for her to follow them into the arena. They all showed their media passes to security, signed the logbook at the window, and made their way through the building. "Camera A isn't where it needs to be. John has it pointing at the damn wall. I swear that asshole is going to be the death of me." Terry complained as they made their way to the main arena. Beth looked around at the empty stadium before her. Everything was bathed in blue. She immediately assumed that was the team's colors and was instantly reminded of the time Shawn took her to a basketball game before he was deployed.

She fought to keep up with the men as the sadness of her brother's absence took hold of her. She took a seat and watch them maneuver the camera around until it was pointed in the direction it needed to be. T-Mac checked the equipment over as Beth and Daryl made their way back out to the bay.

"Wanna see inside?" Daryl asked as they approached the truck. Beth's sadness vanished quickly to be replaced by a giddy feeling she hadn't felt in years. She nodded quickly and Daryl smirked at her. He wordlessly climbed the metal stairs and opened the door for her. She walked through the threshold and was surprised at what she saw. Before her were countless monitors, control panels, phones, and flashing lights. To her left, she could see a wall full of TVs and more computers to her right, those obviously personal.

"Wow," she muttered. She was overwhelmed by how many buttons, knobs, and computers it took to put a picture on a TV screen.

"Back here is where the suits sit. They figure out what camera will air when or some shit. All I know is I was in here once when they were and it was nothing but bickering. Uptight assholes. Our guys stay here mostly. The audio bay is the next door down."Daryl explained.

"I didn't realize there was so much to all of this." She moved to a wall that was covered from floor to ceiling with cables running here and there." Daryl walked up behind her, close enough that she could feel his breath on her as he spoke.

"This shit is unhooked every time they tear down. Don't know how they keep all this shit straight," He commented. She turned to look at him, shock in not only his words that someone was smart enough to know what all these little wires did, but also at how close he was to her. She could smell the musky scent of him and suddenly more than the truck was overwhelming her.

"Can you show me the audio bay?" She quickly asked, her heart racing at proximity of him. He backed away and headed back to the door and down the stairs. She followed behind him trying to shake the thoughts that were running through her mind. Fear being the main one.

He made his way up another set of stairs and held the door open for her. She entered and realized this room was much smaller, no larger than a walk in closet, and very loud. There was a large control panel with knobs and levers covering it. Her fingers ghosted over the ones that read familiar to her.

"Don't touch anythin'." Daryl said loudly, causing her to jump.

"I wasn't," she dropped her hand immediately, as if she had been burned.

"Got one guy workin' this area. Don't know how he keeps up with what everythin' means. But that's why I drive this damn thing and they run it." Beth smirked.

"So what's next?"

"Gotta check my e-mail. Terry mentioned somethin' about B-unit going to Ohio instead of Colorado. Once the game's over we head out. Gotta few hours to kill." He opened the door to the audio bay and held it for her, as she passed through the tight opening her hand brushed across his leg and he felt himself flinch in response.

Daryl checked back in with Terry to make some sure he didn't need anything else. After they moved a few large crates, Beth and Daryl made their way back to the hotel to gather their stuff and checked out of the hotel. As they made their way back out to the street, Beth noticed a sea of blue moving to the building next to the hotel.

"Hear they go kinda crazy about basketball." Daryl whispered to her as a man wearing a blue wig, blue body paint, and blue foam fingers walked by the shouting ' Cats Cats Cats!'. Beth giggled.

Since Daryl wasn't needed at the truck, they decided to walk around downtown Lexington for a few hours to pass the time after putting their personal items back in the truck. They walked mostly in silence, Beth asking a few questions and Daryl giving short answers. She noticed a park close to the arena that had fountains spraying water on one side and trees and benches scattered around the rest of the area.

Daryl followed her as she took a seat on one of the benches facing the fountains and pulled out his phone. He flipped through a few e-mails before curiosity got the best of her.

"Why'd you pick me up?" She blurted.

"Told ya. Girl like you didn't need to be in a place like that."

"But you could have brought me here and sent me packing." He looked up from his phone and over to her.

"I ain't like that." He said with a shrug. "Once the game starts, we should get some lunch," he pointed to a restaurant across the way. Beth agreed and they sat in an awkward silence until the crowd on the streets began to fade.

They made their way into a place called Saul Good that was apparently a burger and pizza place. There were TVs lining the walls airing the basketball game and Beth couldn't help but root silently for the boys in blue as they scuffed their way back and forth on the court. It was something about the town and the atmosphere of the restaurant that had her feeling somewhat at home in this foreign place. Daryl didn't seem to care about the game at all, though he watched a bit of it. They didn't speak, they just absorbed and for some reason, if felt much more comfortable to her than sitting in the park in silence.

Once the game was over, they made their way back to the arena. The back parking lot was full and people were running around pulling cables and coiling them up, closing up hatches, and packing away cameras. Daryl told her to wait by the truck and he moved to help Terry and the rest of the crew. As she waited, she could hear Daryl confirm that they were, in fact, headed to Ohio next, for another basketball game. She assumed it would be the same deal as this one and wondered just what she could do to help pass the time and pull her weight. The logbook was too easy, she needed something more.

In seemingly no time at all, the truck was packed away and they were on their way to the next job. Beth sat with the logbook in her lap the entire way, documenting every stop, weigh in, and break he took. Her notes were much more detailed than the ones that he'd been making and she worried she wasn't doing it right. He assured her it was fine.

Before she knew it, they were pulling into another arena in Cleveland and everything was practically the same as it had been in Lexington, only with different people moving about the unit than the last show. Daryl had wanted to follow the same routine as the last time, him going to check into the hotel, and Beth staying in the truck until he got back. This time, though, she decided to go to hotel right away and wait rather than stand around awkwardly by the truck.

It was less than an hour later when Daryl came through the door, having gotten two room keys this time around. In his hand, he had grabbed some burgers from the fast food place next door for them to eat for dinner. Beth was actually beginning to miss home cooked meals as all these fast food meals were going to start have an affect on her waist line.

"We should do something," Beth suggested. She was currently laying on her bed, on her stomach, watching whatever lame show Daryl had turned it to.

"Yeah, like what?" Daryl said, finishing the last bite of his burger.

"I dunno, we could get to know one another. Feel like I barely know anything about you."

"Ya know what ya need to." Beth sighed. Leaving the room in silence for several minutes, Beth finally spoke again.

"Well then we should just drink then," she started. "Like alcohol."

"Ya even old enough to drink, girl?"

"See, this is why we need to get to know each other better, I could be a sixteen year old delinquent who just robbed a convenience store. Hell, I don't even know your last name."

"I'd rather drink than talk right now."

"Well go on then." Daryl climbed off of his bed and moved wordlessly out of the room.

Daryl returned not twenty minutes later with a brown bag. Inside was a large bottle of Jack Daniels. Daryl grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice and the amber liquid before handing one to her. Beth took a sip and was disgusted by the taste, but decided that it was better than anything else on television.

After an hour of heavy silence, Daryl finally spoke.

"How old are ya anyway?"

"Oh no, I ain't telling you anything until you start talkin' to me."

Daryl sighed and dropped his head. "What do you wanna know?

"How about a fun round of twenty questions?"

"This ain't high school."

"Yeah, well tough luck I guess."

"Dixon," Beth turned her head towards him in confusion. "That's my last name," He added.

"I'm twenty years old," she stated. "And that's one each, so I get to ask now," He smirked but allowed her to go ahead. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-Four. Where you running from?"

"Mason, Georgia. Where you from originally?"

The game continued well past the twenty questions. The more they drank, the more open they were willing to be with one another. Their questions varied between finding out about their parents and siblings, random stories from school or for Daryl, his job. Eventually, their conversation turned to more personal matters, things they would have never brought up if they were sober.

"You know, my dad kept our house dry." She sighed, taking another gulp of the liquid in her glass. "Never a drop of alcohol. Always water or lemonade. And then my mom died, and it's like, he just became this different person. Started hanging out in bars every night, and eventually, he just never came home."

"What about your brother and sister?" Daryl asked, concerned laced on his face.

"Dealing with their own grief. Maggie just went back to school, like nothing ever happened. Shawn, just gave up and left. Have no clue where he even went. They all just left me alone. After a couple of weeks of that, I just figured if I was gonna be alone, I might as well just leave and do something with my life, rather than wait around for everyone else. That's how incredibly stupid I am."

"You're not stupid Beth."

"I should have never left home. I met a lot of bad people along the way," she cringed thinking about the last one, how he made her feel. She looked over to Daryl and gave him a small smile. "I met you though, so I guess things aren't that bad."

Daryl never knew what to say in these situations. Frankly, he wasn't social enough to ever know what to say, which was why he was always so quiet. Maybe it was him wanting to make her feel better, or maybe it was the alcohol flowing through him, but he shared something he had never thought he would with anyone.

"I was alone for a lot of years. My ma left when I was younger. My ole' man was pissed and drank himself into a stupor every night. He would beat Merle and me, got scars cause of it. Then Merle left, and I just got out of his way, hopin' he would forget I was there. Merle came and got me out, but wasn't long before I was alone again. He could barely care for himself, kept getting locked up and shit."

"That's why you starting driving a truck?"

"At first it was somethin' to fill the time while he was away. It's good money so just kept doin it. Merle and I met up occasionally, and he would try and show me a good time."

"And what's a good time for Merle Dixon? Drinking some Jack in a hotel room?" she smiled, her face already red enough from the alcohol she had consumed.

"Nah, Merle thinks a good time is getting high, wasted, and buying hookers."

"He bought you a hooker?"

"Merle was not the sharpest tool in the toolbox. He had his brilliant moments but they were few and far between."

"I sure hope you didn't have sex with them."

"Fuck no. I knew what type of women Merle hung around with and all the times he had the clap. I didn't need my dick fallin' off."

"So what did you do then?"

"Gave her an extra twenty bucks, told her to make some noise, and then leave. Merle was passed out drunk when I snuck outta the room."

"That's terrible."

"Yeah, be glad your brother never did that to you."

"I'm pretty sure that was Maggie's plan for my twenty-first. Get me totally wasted and then get me to hook up with a random guy just so I would lose my virginity." Beth sighed remembering how cruel her sister could be. "Maggie didn't get it. I believed in love and thought that waiting around for the perfect person was the right thing to do, while she just wanted to screw anything with a pulse and a penis."

"Ya still believe in that shit?"

"I'm still a virgin, aren't I?" she slurred, tipping her drink slightly.

"Don't mean nuthin'."

"I guess I would just want it to be with someone who actually cared for me and not some cheap one night stand. I feel like I should know the person first and really connect with them before I would want to share something as intimate as sex with them."

"It ain't all it's cracked up to be. It's just fucking."

"It can be more than just "fucking", Mr. Dixon." Beth used quotations marks to emphasize her point. "It's two people binding themselves together in the most primitive way possible. There should be feelings involved, or it's senseless."

"Sometimes, that's all you really want. A senseless act to get your rocks off," he chuckled, taking a large gulp. Beth just shook her head.

"I certainly hope that you meet a wonderful lady one day, Daryl, who makes you feel something deeper than whatever you've ever felt before. And that you wait and get to know her before you reach the physical aspect of your relationship, cause I figure that once you do, it will mean something to you."

"You're spoutin' that romance novel shit, makin' love."

"It's not about what you call it, you can call it sex, making love or fucking but at the end of it, it should feel like the most beautiful, wonderful moment of your life. And that you wish you could live in that moment forever."

"I think you may have been drinking too much now," He got off the bed and grabbed her drink to put it on the dresser. Beth just laid back on the bed and snuggled closer into the blankets.

"You and I just need to fall in love already," Beth mumbled before she seemed to pass out. Daryl was slightly taken back by her comment. She surely meant that they both needed to fall in love in general, not necessarily with each other. But there was that slight flutter in his stomach that made him ponder the possibilities.

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 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _A lot of you were wondering about Beth's past and we made sure to talk about it a little here but we will find out more over the length of the story about her past, as well as more about Daryl's._

 _We are loving all the comments and reviews you're giving us and we wanted to make this story as realistic as possible but sometimes we had to take creative liberties in some things. We have taken characters and locations from the show but they will not be used in the same way as the show. You'll figure out what I'm saying more down the road. We just finished writing Chapter 18 and we still haven't met the majority of our other characters. While reading, keep an open mind that Beth and Daryl are slightly different than their tv counterparts and it is truly for this story. Brandy and I wanted to take a different route so please don't have the expectation that their relationship would be the same as other stories or the show. We hope that you all enjoy it._

 _Stacey!_


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! suzisnowflake, BubbaSue, soniabell, 23, Tweety83, DPrincess, alliesmiley2, DarylDixon'sLover, StrangersAngel, Ayame2004, Abbi, deedee014, lupadaisy, malzateb, Ela1980, kevkye, TWDFan05, brady66, Mk15, KelseyNicole08

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The next day proved to be a healthy scratch as both Beth and Daryl were nursing hangovers. He was thankful that they had the rest of the day to kill before he needed to load up again because there was no way he was going to be productive today.

He and Beth took turns in the bathroom, her looking nauseous and green. He knew that last night had been her first night ever of drinking hard liquor and she wasn't used to the after effects. He felt slightly bad, as he recalled the memory from his first night of heavy drinking, but at the same time, she asked for booze and he was actually happy to oblige.

His guaranteed hangover cure was a greasy meal which Beth thought for sure would make her puke. Eventually, once the meal settled and the Tylenol kicked in, she started feeling human again. They still had a number of hours to kill so they just started wandering around, continuing their game from the night before.

"When was the first time you shot something?" Beth asked, referring to the crossbow that was always in his truck.

"Bout twelve when Merle got me it. Pretty sure it fell off the back of a truck or somethin', " he chuckled. "Spent a whole week trying to draw it an' load it. Took me bout a month before I could even shoot straight."

Beth giggled at his misfortune. "Awww, you poor little guy."

"Nah, finally got stronger that I could pull it myself, learn'd to aim and eventually got good. Best day was when I shot me a buck, kill shot first try."

"Wow, that must have been amazing." Beth eyes widened in amazement.

"Yeah, well wasn't too sure how to cut it so I probably wasted a whole bunch but I ate good that week."

"Regardless, I'm sure you were proud for what you did."

"Yeah, I was," he replied humbly. As they kept walking, Beth happened to notice an indoor shooting range on their path. She nudged Daryl and nodded towards the building.

"You wanna pass on your expertise?"

"You wanna shoot somethin?"

"I wanna learn, and who better than the guy with a crossbow?"

"Can't shoot a crossbow in a place like that. Gotta get the handgun outta the truck. Or they probably have rentals." Daryl stopped and waited for her to decide. She mulled over the options for a moment and beamed up at him.

"Let's go," she headed for the range before them and stood by the door, waiting for Daryl to catch up. Once inside, they approached the counter and told the gruff looking man that they wanted to shoot. Daryl told him they'd need to rent a gun for Beth and he took her around showing her smaller caliber guns that would be easier for her to handle.

They settled on a 9mm Ruger, bought some ammo, signed all the appropriate paperwork required, and walked through two very thick sound proof doors. A range safety officer approached them and ushered them to the booth they would be firing from.

"Keep your ear protection on at all times. When you're done firing set the gun on the table down range. Do not hand the gun to each other. Set it down, again down range. Here are the buttons to move the target." He punched a few buttons on the wall and Beth watched the paper target move back and forth. Daryl nodded and the officer walked back to his chair. Beth looked around nervously and Daryl couldn't help but smirk.

"Ya sure ya wanna do this?" He asked mockingly. Beth looked over her shoulder at him with a glare.

"Yeah. Just tell me what to do." Daryl set about explaining the workings of the gun from loading, chambering, safety, and firing. He moved the target closer until it was about 10 yards away. Beth lifted the gun with one hand and prepared to fire.

"Can't shoot like that." Daryl caught her attention before she could pull the trigger. She set the gun down and turned back to him.

"What?"

"Gotta hold it with two hands." She nodded sheepishly and turned back to the gun. She picked it back up and before she could properly secure it in her hands, she felt him move up behind her. His arms came around her body and his hands moved hers to show her how to properly hold the gun. Beth felt a chill run down her spine as his strong hands held tightly on to hers. "Just like that. Now pull the trigger." Beth hesitated a moment before finally squeezing the trigger.

Even with the ear protection, the noise frightened her. She knew guns were loud but she didn't anticipate just how much louder they were when they were being shot from her own hand. She felt Daryl's chest against her back as he chuckled.

"Didn't even hit the target." Beth realized he was right and growled in frustration. "Hold it eye level. Look down the two notches on the back of the gun and line the front notch up with where ya wanna hit. Aim for the head of the target." He never released his hold on her hands as he explained what to do and helped her line the gun up. "When everythin' is focused, shoot." Beth nodded and took a deep breath before pulling the trigger. This time, she was prepared for the noise and focused on the notches. When the bullet hit the target just to the left of the head, she practically screamed in delight.

"Don't get too excited, ya still missed." Beth turned her head to see that his was much closer to hers then she had anticipated. She recovered from her shock quickly.

"Still better than the first shot." She grumbled with a huff.

"Focus. Take your time an' don't feel rushed." She nodded and turned back down range, her body still tingling from the contact. She tried to ignore everything else, including the feeling of his arms wrapped around her and his strong chest against her back, and focus on the head of the target. She took her time, as he instructed, and lined up the gun. She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger again. This time, the bullet pierced the paper where an eye might have been. "Good." He dropped his arms from her and stepped away, and even though she was elated that she hit the target, she was slightly disappointed that he released his hold on her. After learning so much about him the night before, she no longer felt afraid to have him that close to her.

"Do it again," He commanded. She nodded and held the gun back up. She fired a few more shots, two hitting the intended target and one missing it just to the right. She sat the gun down on the table, the barrel down range, and waved for him to shoot. Daryl picked up the gun and quickly unloaded the rest of the rounds dead center in the chest. The holes in the paper were so close together that they tore one larger hole into the paper. He turned to her with a smirk.

"Show off." He reloaded the gun and gestured for Beth to try again. She tried her hand at shooting quickly and in a tight grouping like he had but only one bullet hit the target. She could see him laughing in her peripheral vision.

"Got a lot more practice before ya can shoot like that. Keep takin' your time." He handed her the box of bullets and told her to reload the gun herself. She struggled to get them all in and Daryl eventually had to press the last three in the clip before she could fire again. Taking her time, she was amazed to see all ten rounds hit the body on the target in some fashion. five in the head, one in the chest, and a four in the shoulders.

When they ran out of bullets, they took the gun and ear protection back out to the front desk and signed out. Daryl commented as they were leaving, "Not bad."

Beth felt a sense of pride in herself for the first in a long time. With some careful guidance from Daryl, she was able to relax and shoot a gun. Her father would have a conniption if he ever found out that his youngest child had shot a gun, let alone was traveling around with an older man in a semi-truck. For the first time in months, Beth felt herself smile and feel happy. And she couldn't help but look to the man beside her for helping her to find that.

"We need to celebrate" Beth exclaimed, still living off the high she felt from shooting the gun. Daryl looked confused at her statement.

"Why?"

"Cause that was fun and I did good. C'mon, I see a frozen yogurt stand just up the road." She grabbed his arm, pulling him along until his feet kept pace with hers. When they got to the small pop-up stand, she looked at the few selections and available toppings. Once she decided on what she wanted, she looked to Daryl.

"What you want to get?" she asked, practically jumping around him in excitement. He nervously shifted around and bit his thumbnail.

"Never had it before." Beth stopped in her tracks.

"You've never had frozen yogurt before?" He shrugged his shoulders, not needing to really explain himself. She had learned how he grew up, and what he missed out on. Beth was speechless but vowed to make this an experience for him. "I'll pick something out for you. You're gonna love it, I promise."

Beth got to the employee and gave her order. She pulled her own money out of her pocket to pay, earning her a grimace from Daryl. He told her to use that money in case of an emergency, not to buy him some frozen treat. Once she had both in her hand, they made their way to a small bench and she passed him his.

"I gave you something simple, strawberry with some sprinkles on top."

"Looks girly," he retorted, looking at all angles of the cup.

"Would you like mine? It's passionfruit with a blueberry glaze and candied peanuts." Daryl could only make a disgusted look on his face.

"I'll stick to mine." He took a scoop and ate it. He made a slight face. "I think I just ate a malibu barbie." Beth giggled at his comment, and used her own spoon to grab some of his. She practically shoved it into his mouth, just trying to get him to eat some more.

"It ain't that bad. Quit acting like a baby." He sighed but continued eating it. It got better as time went on and he did eventually eat it. Beth offered him a spoonful of hers, just so he could try it and he did. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't something he would feel the need to order again.

Daryl could hardly believe something as simple as frozen yogurt could put such a big smile on Beth's face. She looked up then, catching him watching her. His eyes tracked downwards, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick at the corner of her mouth.

"What? Got somethin' on my face?" Beth reach up to swipe a hand across her face.

Daryl grunted and looked away, "Nah, you ready? If we keep hangin' here, I might have to hand over my balls."

Beth nodded, grinning again before turning and tossing her empty cup and spoon in the trash. "This was nice. I got to do somethin' new, you got to do somethin' new. I'm really glad that I came along with you Daryl." Her face held a slight blush, as she giggled. Of all the things that could've possibly happened getting into a stranger's truck, she was glad Daryl was the one to come along.

Daryl saw her happiness and how these little things could make such a difference, not only to her life, but to his as well. Suddenly work was actually becoming fun for him.

"Yeah, ain't so bad havin' you around."

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We both loved this chapter so much as Brandy got to show off her knowledge of guns and we had the cute frozen yogurt moment between the two. There will be plenty of lines from the show, or situations that might be similar so be on the lookout for those.

Next update is Saturday and you guys are going to want to check it out. Major things happening in chapter 5 and you won't want to miss it.


	5. Chapter 5

So when I said Saturday, I meant Friday...LOL! This story updates Monday and Friday, always.

Thanks to the wonderful reviews last chapter. DarylDixon'sLover, malzateb, brady66, suzisnowflake, Ela1980, kevkye, fritzo, Abbi, soniabell, KelseyNicole08, Guest. We love reading what you guy have to say so don't be afraid to leave a message to us.

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Traveling with Daryl turned out to be the best decision she had ever made in her life, short of leaving home. In their six weeks together, she had learned to trust him and hold him as a confidant to her life. They had settled on a routine for loading and setup, Beth taking over more than just the logbooks. She also got them food, did their laundry and answered emails for him. They were simple tasks but it allowed her to be more useful and for Daryl to take a little more time for himself. Not that he ever did spend time alone, they spent all their time together.

Beth's favorite time with him was when he was driving. She learned to sleep when he slept so she was used to staying up all hours of the night. It was at these times when the silence was welcome. She was able to reflect on their days and think about what was coming up.

She could spend hours in silence with him because she could still tell what he was thinking. His facial expressions were easier to read now, his body language something she could understand. As he sat in the driver's seat, watching the road in front of them, she would stare at his relaxed demeanor. His own thoughts running through his head. In these six weeks, she not only developed an admiration for him, she had developed an attraction to him. Living in such close quarters had them seeing almost everything of each other. Daryl felt comfortable enough to walk around hotel rooms in just his boxers and t-shirt; Beth still wearing his flannel shirt and a pair of panties.

She knew that the attraction was mutual, having caught his eyes as they raked over her long legs and her body as she stretched. She may have been doing some of it on purpose, hoping that maybe he would take the hint and do something about it.

But it was more than just the physical aspects. Beth loved herself again, and she had Daryl to thank for that. He gave her a confidence in herself, from the way he thanked her for her hard work or the praise he would give her from their lessons. He still gave her pointers on how to shoot when they were off the beaten path, even let her try and shoot his crossbow once. He trusted her and that meant something strong to her.

As much as they were the closest of friends, she still wished for them to be something more. Staring at him, she could feel the longing inside for him to hold her close like he did several nights before. They had to share a bed every once and awhile and every time she woke up in the morning, she could feel his body curled up to hers, and his erection resting on the curve of her behind.

This trip, they were taking the truck from New York to Arkansas, which was a longer drive than Daryl was allowed to do in one day so they would have to stop and park the truck for the day. They decided to stop at the halfway point and make the rest of the drive the next night.

"Run in there an' grab us somethin' to eat. I'll get the back set up so we can get some rest." Beth was happy to oblige and climbed out of the truck. She grabbed a burger for Daryl and a salad for herself that surprisingly, didn't look horrible considering where it came from, and quickly returned back to her new home away from home.

She climbed back into the truck and noticed that Daryl had pulled out a spare pillow and blanket and had them set up on the floor next to the bed. This was the first time they had traveled so far as to need to sleep in the truck and she hadn't really thought about their sleeping arrangements until now.

"Are you sleepin' on the floor?" Daryl looked up and nodded. She handed him the burger and sat down to eat her salad. "That ain't right. You drive all night. You should take the bed."

"Call me old fashioned but I ain't lettin' ya sleep on the floor." Beth rolled her eyes as she picked at her salad.

"Fine, then just sleep on the bed with me," she tried hard to sound nonchalant but she could see by the slight rise in his cheeks that she had failed. "Not like we haven't before."

"Those were at least queen size beds, this here is a twin."

"Well neither one of us are sleeping on the floor, so you best be getting used to the idea," she stated with the best authoritative tone she could muster. She watched his shoulders sag with defeat and he just grunted what sounded like a fine. They finished their meals in silence and Beth watched Daryl reposition the pillows on the bed to try and make room for both of them. She couldn't help the satisfied smile that crossed her lips.

"Quit your smirkin' an' come on. We need to be back on the road by eight and I'm beat." Beth climbed in the back and pulled off her jeans and shirt without hesitation and pulled on his flannel shirt. Daryl pulled his own jeans off and crawled to the far end of the bed, his back pressed firmly against the wall.

Beth looked at him and laughed. "I'm not gunna bite, ya know." Daryl shot her a look of warning causing her to close her mouth and the curtain to block the light. She climbed into bed and laid on her side at the edge of the bed. Before she even had a chance to assess their situation, her eyes closed and she was asleep in seconds.

Beth woke hours later. From the lack of light coming from the edge of the curtain, Beth assumed they had slept longer than they intended. She was about to roll over and wake Daryl when she realized what had woken her.

Daryl was curled against her body, his arm over her hip holding tight and his erection pressing firmly against her backside. His other arm had slipped under her and wrapped around her chest with his hand kneading her breast. A moan caught in her throat and she wondered if he was asleep. He had to be, he wouldn't just do this to her while she slept. He wasn't like the other men she had met on the road. He actually respected her.

"Daryl, wake up." She whispered. His movements stopped immediately and she felt his body go stiff as he realized what he had been doing. Beth rolled over to face him and saw the look of horror pass over his features. "Hey, it's ok." She reached up and cupped his face with one hand. His features softened slightly.

"M'sorry." He mumbled. Beth wanted to tell him that there was nothing to be sorry about. She might be a virgin but she knew the body's reaction to certain types of dreams, just like every other grown woman. Rather than trying to assure him through her words, she summed up enough courage and scooted closer to him on the tiny bed. He brought his eyes back up to hers and before she could back out, she closed the distance and pressed her lips to his.

Daryl didn't react at first; shock filled his body as he memorized the feel of her soft lips against his. He'd wanted to kiss her for some time now, he wasn't sure what it was about her that drew him in, but now that it was happening, he wasn't moving. That thought alone pushed him into action.

His arm, still underneath her, wrapped around her back and pulled her closer. His mouth moved quickly against hers and she couldn't stop the moan that was ripped from her throat. His other hand gripped her hip again, his fingers slipping beneath the clothing to her skin. Beth felt like she was on fire. She needed more.

Daryl licked the seam of her lips and without hesitation, she opened her mouth to him. As they kissed, she became dizzy. His tongue gently teased hers and then vanished, as did his mouth. She was going to protest until she felt his mouth make its way now her neck and to her shoulder.

"Daryl," Beth let her head fall back to allow him more access to her. "Oh, don't stop." She mewed. Those simple words were all the encouragement he needed to roll her over on her back and hover over her. When she looked into his eyes, her whole body shivered under the hungry look in her eyes.

He didn't waste any time before his head dipped back down to hers and captured her mouth once again. Kissing Daryl was nothing like she had ever experienced. She recalled the few kisses she shared with her boyfriend, Jimmy, in high school but that was nothing compared to the passion she felt now.

His hands began to roam down her side when there was a slow banging on the side of the truck causing them both to jump. Daryl shot up out of bed and ripped back the curtain to see what the hell was going on.

"Wait here." He instructed her as reached into one of the compartments for his handgun. Daryl looked around the lot to see most of the other trucks had already left for the night. Only a few remained. In all of his travels, he'd never had anyone come up on his truck, why in god's name did it have to be right now?

He looked out of the driver side window and saw a man covered in blood, a large wound to his neck, was slapping at the door. "What the fuck?" His instincts told him not to open the door; that the man should be dead with the amount of blood pouring from the hole in his neck.

"Daryl, what's going on?" Beth called from the back, confused as to what had interrupted them.

"Stay back Beth, don't know what the hell is goin on." He looked back to the bleeding man, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Oh my God, is he okay?" Beth tried to get past Daryl, wanting to get out and help the man. Daryl grabbed her by the waist and pushed her back to the bed.

"I told you to stay back here," he forced out through gritted teeth. Her look of annoyance didn't help the situation. "That man out there, should not be alive. We shouldn't leave the truck,"

"But Daryl, he might need our help,"

"He has a huge chunk missin' out of his neck and he don't seem to care. He would have been dead within minutes, and yet he is still up and movin," Beth became startled by this. She saw the blood pouring out of him and the lifelessness in his face but that wasn't possible.

"How is that possible?"

"I dunno, but get dressed and get everything put together, I want to get out of here, now," He moved to grab his pants from the floor and put them on. Beth hesitated, still feeling torn between helping that man out there and listening to Daryl. At the end of the day, she trusted the man in front of her more than anyone else so she would follow his lead.

She took off the flannel and added a tank top, but placed his shirt back on. She needed comfort right now and this was the only thing apart from Daryl himself that could help. Putting on her jeans, and packing all their clothes into the backpack, she fixed the bed and placed his crossbow and the bag on top.

Daryl sat down in the driver's seat and started up the rig, the engine roaring to life loudly. He quickly switched on the CB radio and listened to the frantic chatter of other truckers near by.

"Some fucking asshole just bit me!" Someone screamed.

"What the hell is going on? Someone just shot someone in the chest and the guy got up and started eating him! Jesus Christ!" Someone else shouted through the radio. Apparently, their friend outside wasn't the only one out there.

"Beth! We gotta go!" Daryl didn't wait for her to join him up front before he put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. As he maneuvered his way through the parking lot, he switched off the CB and turned on his radio, trying to find any new broadcast as to what was going on.

"We're getting unsubstantiated reports of what appears to be explainable violence in the Evansville area. Police have been called to over two dozen attacks and we've been told that at least three officers have been killed while responding."

Beth climbed into the passenger seat, listening intently to the voices on the radio.

"We are being told that people are attacking others by biting them. The mayor has released a statement advising everyone to remain in doors. If you do not need to be out, please remain inside until the- wait…. we're getting more now." There was silence on over the air for a moment. "You can't be serious?" The voice on the radio sounded skeptical. "One of the officers pronounced dead bit someone?!"

"Daryl, what the hell is happening?" Beth's voice shook in fear.

"I dunno." He pulled the truck out onto the interstate and drove in the direction they were originally headed. "I wonder if it's just somethin' here." He mused out loud.

Silence filled the truck as they drove down the road; both thinking about what they had heard on the radio. Daryl tried his best to keep his composure and try and figure out the reality of their situation. Beth couldn't get the idea of dead people coming back to life out of her head. Fear started to take over her body and she found her hands starting to shake. Daryl must have sensed her change in mood and put his hand on top of hers.

"I'll protect you Beth, don't you worry bout nothin'." Daryl's voice was always soothing, and the electricity that flowed from his hand to her body happened to make her think other thoughts instead. She took a deep breath and gave him a small smile. She trusted him and knew that he would look out for her.

As they drove out of the city, they noticed more and more cars parked on the side of the road and people wandering around aimlessly. It didn't seem like whatever was going on was isolated to just Evansville. Daryl was grateful that the roads were mildly clear as he drove through the night. Beth took his phone and began searching for anything that might explain what was going on. So far all she could find was talks of a virus and people coming back from the dead. Major cities were being evacuated, but to where, they had no idea.

"Should we even bother going to Arkansas?"

"Probably not. But we're halfway there an' I need to find gas." Beth nodded. "Let me have the phone." He held his hand out and Beth dropped it into his open palm. He quickly searched through some numbers and called someone. There was a loud beeping on the line so Daryl tried another number. Everyone he tried, he got the same thing.

Finally, getting frustrated with the cellular device, he threw it behind him to land on the bed and focused back on the radio. He noticed, he was getting a lot more static and wondered if the stations were losing connection when he finally heard the tell tale screeching of the emergency broadcast system. He looked over to Beth to see her face in absolute fear. He could start to feel it creep into him as well.

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Well, that was a lot to take in this chapter. These two finally kiss and then the dead interrupt them. We have now entered the first days of the outbreak and we'll watch these two as they navigate their way through it.

Thank you to Carla for being that guiding light and making sure we stay true to the story.

Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, following and favoriting. It's truly amazing and we appreciate all the love.


	6. Chapter 6

So apparently you guys like the ZA because we got the most reviews ever for that last chapter so thank you so much to everyone. We hit 100 reviews in just 5 chapters and we are just over the moon.

Thank you to DarylDixon'sLover, 23, electrickpanda, Ela1980, brady66, megs27, Guest, alliesmiley2, StrangersAngel, LadyScarlettDixon, BubbaSue, TWDFan05, nightdrive23, malzateb, kevkye, Tweety83 , Guest, katiegirl99, jeanf, Trixieviv, upsydaisy2, Abbi, Reignashii, soniabell, rckyfrk (x4), Ayame2004, KelseyNicole08 for leaving reviews. And to all the new followers, we prepared for a wild ride now.

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When they finally made it to the gas station, it was complete chaos. Daryl was lucky that he needed diesel in his truck and was able to miss the hoards of cars that were filling up on regular. People were yelling and pushing each other around. And the price seemed to skyrocket within a few minutes which caused more outrage.

Daryl finished pumping and had used his credit card to pay at the pump. Once he got back into the rig, he noticed Beth curled up into her seat, exactly how she had been when they first met. He needed to reassure her that everything would be okay and that he would take care of her.

Instead of sitting in his chair, he knelt down beside hers. She stared blankly at the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Beth," he said, trying to gain her attention. She moved her head slightly so she could catch a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye. "Everything is gunna be fine. We're gunna get to Little Rock in under six hours and we'll figure out everything from there. But ya gotta trust me." He placed his hand on top of her leg, and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She looked at him, slightly red rimmed eyes as tears threatened to fall. "Do you trust me, Beth?"

Beth simply nodded her head and finally stared at him straight on. He caressed her cheek and leaned in to kiss her forehead. He got back into his seat and started the rig to get back on the road.

They traveled in relative silence to Little Rock. The roads were packed with cars, and even though they were moving slower than normal, they still seemed to make good time all things considered. Just as the sun began to rise, Daryl saw signs for Little Rock 50 miles ahead.

"We're almost there, Beth." He tried to say reassuringly.

"There are people everywhere. The radio still isn't working. What could have happened?"

"I dunno, chemical warfare or some shit? Seems like the government is always pissin' someone off."

"I can't imagine this is some terrorist attack that could cause something like this." Beth's voice sounded weary.

"Why don't ya go rest? I'll figure it out. Take the handgun back there with ya."

"I'd rather stay up here with you," she stated. Daryl knew enough about her to know when to push her and when to leave her alone. And with the way she was clutching his flannel shirt around her, she really just needed to be comforted.

As they got closer and closer to the city, it seemed more panic was setting in. They saw less and less cars coming out of the city limits and more trying to get in, which struck them both as odd. In Evansville, the streets were almost bare, but here it seemed like they were herding them deep into the heart of the city for safety. Beth began to feel the pull of unease as she thought about what it could mean with all those people so close together.

They were able to get into the downtown area but the streets were congested. The police were directing traffic and closing off streets. Daryl, being in a larger semi truck with a trailer attached, was unable to get through and kept getting diverted. He eventually pulled into an abandoned parking lot and sighed.

"There's no way I can get to the arena. No one is answering their phones, This is ridiculous."

"We need to get out of the city." Beth said, emotionless. Daryl looked over to her in confusion.

"Why's that?"

"What happens in horror movies, when a large crowd of people are exposed to a virus? It spreads."

"Shit," Daryl said, realizing she was right. They were essentially just sitting ducks in a city this big. If this was an epidemic, it wouldn't take long for large amounts of the population to be undead. He looked in his mirror and saw the trailer attached to his truck. With careful thought, he decided to do what was best. "We gotta lose the trailer and get out of here Beth."

"Why can't we keep it?"

"It's just gunna weigh us down and waste gas. This cab has everything we need for the time being so we'll get outside the city lines, and hunker down till we know more about what's going on. I'll probably get fired for deserting that trailer."

"I'm sure they'll understand."

"We gotta unload it, I need you to help me," He said grabbing the handgun and putting it in his pants. Beth followed him out his door and to where they would unhook everything. It wouldn't take too long with her help but with her inexperience, it did take longer than usual.

Daryl was so busy that he didn't hear the moaning coming up behind him and Beth. Luckily Beth turned around in time to see one of those dead bodies, lurching it's way towards her.

She let out an ear-piercing scream and fell to the ground in fright. Daryl was able to grab ahold of the gun and fire two shots into the person's torso. When he saw that it had no affect on them whatsoever, he panicked.

Noticing the body coming closer to Beth, who was still in shock. He hesitated slightly before getting the thing right between the eyes. It went down quick and stopped moving. He carefully lowered the gun and thought about what he just did. He walked slowly over to it and looked it over.

This person was missing most of it's arm and it's foot seemed to be at an awkward angle. And yet it was still walking around and wanting to have him or Beth for lunch. He felt Beth's body curl up to his side and her voice broke.

"This is really bad, isn't it?"

"We're getting out of here now," he replied. He quickly finished unloading the trailer in the parking lot and moved the truck along. They had to take a few more backroads to get out but because he didn't have the long trailer anymore, he could get around easier.

They drove where no cars were. He could see people stranded on the way in, the roads blocked by police and stalled vehicles. He shook his head and trusted his gut. It was a death wish by staying in the city. He needed to get him and Beth outside, in the woods. He managed to get south on Hwy 65 and found some roads for a mobile home park. He figured most of the folks there would have probably headed to the city for protection and maybe he and Beth could stay around that area for the time being.

The area surrounding the trailer park was wooded. He could hunt fresh meat and he was sure that the trailer park had a few wells to get water out of. Maybe they could even get closer to a store to pick up some other necessities. He knew what survival meant, and he needed to plan for everything. Getting supplies was his main priority, along with protecting Beth.

Pulling up to the gates, he saw the padlock and chains to the entrance; his frustration growing by the minute. He saw the public notice attached to the welcome sign and figured they were probably shut down for some reason. He looked over at Beth, who was staring right back at him.

"It's getting late and we need to find somewhere safe tonight," Beth stated. He nodded his head and put the truck into park. He got up and grabbed his crossbow from the back, and the handgun. He handed the gun to Beth and went to load the crossbow.

"Anything comes up to the truck, you shoot it. I gotta get that lock picked and figure out why it was closed in the first place,"

"You shouldn't go alone," she whispered, holding his gaze. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I'll be fine, you stay in here," He exited the truck and let his hunter instincts take over. He listened for sounds of animals, or people, and even the undead that were walking around. It was eerily silent. He noticed immediately that even the local wildlife had gone quiet. He just hoped whatever was happening to people wasn't happening to the animals, otherwise they would be screwed when it came to food.

Once the lock was picked, he motioned for Beth to wait in the cab while he walked through the lots. He noticed that there were only about ten to fifteen trailers parked here but at least six had damage of some kind. It all seemed to radiate from one trailer in particular. If he had to guess, based off the damage, it was either a meth lab explosion or a ruptured gas line.

When he was satisfied that they were alone and found a trailer they could safely sleep in tonight, he started to make his way back to the rig. Just as he was rounding the corner, getting closer to the front gate, he heard a gunshot. He quickly pushed his legs as fast as he could until he could see what the commotion was.

Beth was still sitting in the rig, the window down and her arms extended. There was a body lying just by her door, blood pouring from its head. She caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye and dropped the gun back in her lap. He scanned the clearing for anymore, and when he saw nothing, he climbed back into the driver's seat of the rig.

"Nice shot." She smirked weakly at his compliment as he fired the rig back up and drove it in past the open gates. Without warning, he got back out, the truck still running, and went back to lock the gate back up. She waited nervously for his return.

"What happened here?" It didn't take long for her to notice the charred remains of what were once mobile homes.

"Explosion of some sort, probably a gas line or somethin'," he replied. She looked around to the remains of this place, wondering how long ago things went south here. "Gates all around this place it seems, shouldn't have any of those things comin' in here. Probably sleep in one of the trailers tonight." She whipped her head around to him with disgust.

"I'm not sleeping in someone else's bed. Why can't we sleep in here again?" Daryl sighed.

"Ya slept in mine, without a problem." Beth rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I think we're safer in here. We can drive away if something bad happens," she pleaded with him. He could feel exhaustion settling in from all the drama of today. They could get some sleep tonight and then loot around the trailers tomorrow to find supplies.

"K, we sleep in here tonight and figure everything else out tomorrow." She nodded. Just as she was going to the back to get changed for the night, she turned around with a devilish glint in her eye.

"We gonna continue what we started last night?" Her face turned a little red from her insinuation but she said it with confidence.

"Just get to bed, I'm gonna make sure that everything is locked up." Beth giggled and climbed in the back. As she was getting changed, she realized there was a pain in her stomach. In all the chaos, they had forgotten to eat. However, with how emotionally and physically drained she was, she could care less about eating anything at all. Deciding this probably wouldn't be the first time she went without eating, she ignored her hunger and climbed into the bed, her body resting on the edge to allow Daryl room when he returned.

She couldn't be sure how long it took before exhaustion took over and she was passed out cold.

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Thanks to Carla for helping us out with chapter. You are the best!

Things are gonna be moving pretty fast now. We'll be spending some time on certain things and then we'll be time jumping around. Pay attention to that so you know approx. how much time has passed in this thing. It will make sense in the long term.

Please continue to leave reviews. Brandy and I love to read them and we get a good gauge at how well this story is doing by what you guys say.

 **Fun note** , this is a real trailer park and it's actually called Dixon Manor. (I'm not kidding, look it up!) I took away the name cause it would feel really weird but I wanted you guys to know that it's a real place.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, alliesmiley2, rckyfrk, LadyofSign, brady66, nightdrive23, TWDFan05, Oktobertnzer, BubbaSue, Abbi, megs27, kevkye, Creed757, malzateb, Ela1980, TWDobsession, Reignashii, Guest, Scifigirl22, Trixieviv. hmatlock, KelseyNicole08, MistressKitten, Soaring Hawk1

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When she finally woke, she could feel the heavy weight of Daryl's arm resting on her waist. For a moment, she remembered the other times she had woken to him holding her, and she almost forgot that the world was in total chaos. He felt her stir beneath him and began to rise from his slumber. Before either could say anything, Beth's stomach growled loudly. Daryl chuckled softly.

"Found some stuff in one of the trailers last night. S'up front."

"You went through the trailers alone?" Beth turned over to look at him, her eyes scrunched together in annoyance. He could have been hurt and she'd never known.

"Been takin' care of myself long before shit started turnin' bad." Beth sighed and rolled back over to climb out of the bed. Daryl sat up, his feet sitting on the ground and his hands rubbing his face. Beth began to sift through the bags of stuff Daryl had found the night before. There were several canned beans and corn, three flashlights, and several unopened bags of beef jerky.

"I think we should go back to Georgia." Beth admitted as she settled on a few bites of jerky. Daryl looked up at her, his eyes tired.

"Kinda figured you'd wanna get back there." He stood up and pulled his jeans back on over his boxers. "We need to figure out how serious this is, first." Beth knew he was right. They'd have to travel through some large cities if they stayed on the highway and, if the outbreak got worse, they could be driving to their deaths. But she couldn't help but worry about her family she left behind. Her heart ached to know that they were ok.

"Do you think there might be any talk on the CB?" She asked curiously.

"Maybe." He moved to sit in the driver's seat and flip on the CB radio. There was static on the line so he switched channels, trying to find any sign of life.

"Anyone out there listenin', Little Rock is gone!" someone shouted over the static.

Daryl picked up the mic on the radio and pressed the button on the side. "What's happenin' out there?"

"Man, they're everywhere! The military tried to control it but there were too many of em! I got out before the whole damn place burnt down!" Beth gasped as she nervously rubbed the collar of the flannel shirt. "I keep passin' them on the road. It's outta control!"

"Daryl, turn it off." Beth pleaded.

"Where ya headed?" Daryl asked the voice over the radio.

"I don't know. Away from cities. Be safe. Don't get bit. If ya do, you get sick and end up like them." The man's radio clicked off and the cab was filled with static. Daryl sighed and flipped off the radio and tossed the mic up on the dash forcefully, causing Beth to jump slightly. After several minutes of heavy silence, Daryl finally looked at her.

"We need to get as much as we can. We gotta assume it's like this everywhere. The CB is the best line of communication we got right now. We'll head south but I ain't in a hurry. I gotta find a map somewhere so we can drive around the larger cities." He could see tears slipping past her lower lids and down her cheeks. He couldn't stop himself from reaching over and wiping them away.

"I told ya I'll keep ya safe. We already know how to kill em. We just need to keep it up til I get ya home."

"What if they're dead?" Beth whispered. Daryl didn't respond right away. What he knew about her family, he wasn't going to assume they would survive long enough for her to see them again.

"Don't ya think about that right now." She nodded and wiped the remaining tears from her face, her composure hardening slightly.

"So, we find what ever else we can here and then move?"

"Eat some more then we'll go out." He grabbed a few pieces of jerky for himself and ate them sparingly.

Once their stomachs were somewhat satisfied, they both got out of the truck to take a walk around. Daryl had already been in one of the trailers, now they were going to venture through the others.

They walked to the furthest one, and would work their way back. She had emptied out their bags on the bed and they would use them to add their findings. For each trailer they went through, Beth would open the door and Daryl would go with his crossbow to make sure nothing or no one was in there. Beth would stay out till he gave the go ahead, watching his back and making sure nothing crept up on them.

Their routine worked well. Daryl finding the tools they would need to keep going. Flashlights, batteries, knives and matches all made their way into his bag. Beth was looking for food, clothing and blankets. Most trailers had a little bit of both, but the fifth trailer they went through belonged to some doomsday preppers. Every inch of space was covered in canned goods, hunting supplies, guns and ammunition, and enough water to last them a month. They had to make several trips back to the truck to bring it all, but it was worth it for the haul they had.

On their way back, Daryl managed to find a few empty gas cans which could hold some diesel fuel for him. They would take the rig as far as they could and then ditch it, hoping they'd secure another vehicle along the way.

He told Beth to stay in the truck and he was going to go hunt some fresh meat. She was scared for him to go out of gates but he reassured her that he would be okay. Because of the extra guns they found, he carried one with him, along with his crossbow. If she heard a shot, then something was wrong. He promised to stay close and left her to pack up their bags with essentials and pack the truck with as much as they could.

Time seemed to tick by slowly for Beth as she waited for Daryl to get back. She had put all the canned food in the storage that was underneath the bed. They didn't take any perishable items but their fridge was stocked with all the water they could fit in there. Each of their packs contained about 2 days worth of food, maybe 5 if they rationed it out. Already, they were starting to eat lighter so if they did have to go a day or two without food, it wouldn't be detrimental. She had cleaned out some water thermoses and filled them, adding those to the packs. For clothing, she packed clean underwear and socks and a spare shirt for each of them.

While this item may be a little controversial to pack, Beth still thought it was necessary. With the way things had been the night before, she wasn't going to be unprepared again so she had placed a pack of condoms in each of their bags and had another two boxes sitting in the drawer next to the bed.

She never thought she would get to this point so quickly with someone but Daryl felt so different. He was kind and sweet to her, and she admired him for saving her the way that he did. She would never admit it to him, but she would probably be dead if it wasn't for him. There would have been a creep along the way who didn't take no for an answer and would have probably killed her.

They had bonded so much over these past 2 months that she couldn't imagine her life without him anymore. It's why she was so open to having sex with him now. She felt something so strong for him and she wanted to share that connection with him to it's fullest extent.

Maybe this wasn't the best time to think of sex but now that he had touched her and kissed her, she wanted more. It didn't help that they would be sleeping their nights in the tiny little bed. His body pressed so closely to hers. Just thinking about that night did things to her and if he didn't come back soon enough, she might have to take things into her own hands for the first time ever.

Daryl was coming back from hunting, his belt with a few squirrels attached to it. It felt good to get out and go back to his roots. Hunting and camping were those times in his life where he felt the most freedom. He could do as he needed and no one could tell him what to do. This time felt a little different though. He still felt that same feeling but it was no longer just him. He had Beth to worry about now and he worried that he wouldn't be enough to protect her. It was in his hopes that this whole situation would blow over fast and life would get back to normal.

He could see Beth moving around in the rig and he was glad to see she was still safely tucked inside. She happened to look up and see him coming and her smile grew ten times wider. He opened the door and let her come out.

"Need to start a fire so we can start cookin' these up." He motioned to his catch and she understood. She bit her lip slightly, and her eyebrows creased.

"I've never started a fire before, or eaten squirrell for that matter."

"No better time than now to learn."

Since they had nothing but time, he showed her the best sticks and logs to use for firewood, how to keep a fire low as to not create much smoke or light, and how to start a fire without using matches or a lighter. Once the fire was going and tended to, he showed her how to skin and dress the meat so it was edible. She cringed through most of it but kept her stomach contents inside of her. Once they got the meat on, she went back to the truck to pick out some sides to add to their meal.

Sitting around the fire, as the sun was setting felt surreal. Like they were just two people, camping out together, and nothing was wrong with the world. Beth leaned back on her hands and stared at the sky, watching the colours slowly turn from the yellows and oranges to the dark starry sky.

"Is this what it was like growing up, for you?" she asked. The crickets were starting to chirp more and the air was becoming cooler. He grunted his usual yes, and left it at that. "Kinda was for me too."

She turned her head to see him staring intently at her. "I used to sneak out of my room at night when I was little and go outside and just look at the stars. Those crystal clear nights were my favourite. Some nights Maggie came out but for the most part it was just me. And I loved how quiet it was."

"Me an' Merle, we spent more time campin' in the woods than we did inside. Course back then we weren't hidin' from dead people walkin' around." He poked at the meat hanging above the fire and stared off into the amber flame. Beth noticed his far off look and knew not to push him.

"How long do you think it will take to get back to Georgia?" Beth decided to change the subject.

"Depends on what we run into. I'm gunna go out tomorrow and see if I can find a gas station. Maybe find some more fuel and a map."

"I'm coming with you." The determination in her voice was thick and the look she gave him dared him to tell her no.

"You can stay in the truck," he responded as he pulled the charred meat off the fire.

"I can help, you know." He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was glaring at him. He could practically feel it.

"You'll be safer in there. Don't know what we'll run into."

"I'm not spending the rest of my life in that truck," she spat. "I can help!"

"No." He wasn't going to give in and he knew she wouldn't give up easy.

"I've got a gun. I can take care of myself."

"Ain't smart when ya can wait in the truck and be safe." He picked off a bit of meat and ate a piece. It wasn't a steak but it would do.

"Who's gunna watch your back? What if something happens to you? I can't drive that truck." She tried to sound logical but the truth was she was terrified of what would happen to her if something happened to him, and not because of the current state of the world. She'd grown very attached to the man next to her.

"I told ya I would protect ya. Puttin' ya in danger ain't protectin' ya. You're stayin' in the truck." The growl in his voice told her that he had had the final word and she was furious. She didn't speak the rest of the night.

Once they had finished eating and put out the small fire, they returned to the truck, climbed over all the supplies they had piled in every corner and got in bed. Daryl knew she was pissed when he pressed himself up against the wall and she got as close to the edge as she could without falling out. Their bodies weren't touching.

He also knew that this was the only way he could ensure her safety for now. Until they knew more about what was going on out there, he wasn't taking a chance on something happening to her.

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Thank you so all the reviews, follows, and favorites. We are so excited to see them and my e-mail goes nuts from all the notifications. We appreciate all the love and hope you guys like where we are taking things.

A lot of people want to know when we're meeting up with other and all I will say is eventually. The outbreak just happened and they are still near Little Rock so they need to travel a little bit. But don't worry, it's all planned out.

This chapter is really about developing their relationship and not having everything be coming up roses. It's a lot to deal with and handle and these two are both lost.

Send us your comments and reviews. And a happy 4th to all our American followers. I may not be but Brandy sure is and she has a fun weekend planned.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, 23, rckyfrk, malzateb, brady66, Scifigirl22, TWDFan05, StrangersAngel, Ela1980, Abbi, fritzo, Reignashii , alliesmiley2, Guest, jeanf, Trixieviv, moriahhh, jeanf

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 **TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of attempted rape**

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He didn't sleep much that night. When he was able to drift off for what felt like moments here and there, he would wake at the slightest sound. So when he felt a small, warm body curl up against his chest, he wasn't surprised that he was pulled from his slumber. But this time, he wasn't annoyed or straining to hear something outside.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. As he laid awake, he wondered what it was about her that was changing him. Before, he would have never 'cuddled' with a woman. But now, he wasn't sure he could sleep without her near. She was weaving her way into him and it was terrifying. But he also knew he didn't want to see her go, and if he was being honest with himself, he was afraid she would send him packing once she was back with her family. If they were still alive.

Daryl climbed out of bed carefully as the hint of the morning sun began to shine through the windows. He was careful not to wake her as he climbed out of the truck and stretched his legs. He began to plan out the events for today and figure out how long they should try to stay here. His gut told him they should stay put until things died down. It had only been a few days since whatever this was had started. He was sure anyone living was in a panicked state of mind, and therefore very dangerous.

He was just about to move back to the truck when he heard a faint growling and rattling not far away. He made his way around the trailers to find a man, his left eye and part of his jaw missing, clawing at the chain link. Daryl stared at it for a moment, noticing the vacant expression on the creature's face and how easily its teeth snapped together regardless of the missing bone. He took a few steps closer to the fence and the thing became more animated. It's growling intensified and the clanking of the fence grew louder.

Daryl looked around, seeing no others in sight, and started walking down the fence line slowly. He tried not to make much noise as he moved but he was surprised when it pulled its face away and began limping along side of him. He was curious about what drew their attention. Was it movement? Smell? Sound?

He picked up a shovel that was lying near by and tossed it down against the fence a few feet ahead of him. The thing moved past him a few steps before turning back and facing him again, trying desperately to reach him. He held his hand up above its head and watched as its own arms extended to follow his. It was almost as if, in this setting, it was mirroring his actions.

Daryl dropped his hand and pulled his knife from his belt. He made a quick slice on his thumb, drawing blood to the surface and moved down several more feet and smeared the blood on the fence. The body lurched towards the fence and began chewing on the spot he had applied the blood, but its overall reaction was not much different than the others. It only seemed to really care that he was there, close, but just out of reach.

His knife still in his hand, he raised it to sink the knife into its skull when he heard the snapping of twigs. Another one walked out of the clearing, likely drawn over by the sounds he and his undead friend were making. What was interesting to Daryl was that they didn't acknowledge each other at all. They stood side by side, both trying to reach him. He supposed it would make sense in a horror movie sort of way that the dead wouldn't care about each other.

Deciding to end his observations, he plunged the knife into both of their heads and watched as they collapsed into motionless heaps on the ground. But that also made him wonder what it was about damaging the brain that killed them for the second and final time.

He stood motionless for a long while, just studying the lifeless bodies as his mind ran with questions. He heard Beth walk up slowly behind him causing him to glance over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Saw one of em clawing at the fence. It followed me around the fence, didn't get overly excited by blood, and reacted to noise." He explained.

"You were experimenting?" She couldn't help the sound of disbelief in her voice. "You could have been bit."

"The other one came up, drawn in by the noise I guess. Took em both out. But got me wonderin' what is it about the brain that kills em again. And, if the rest of the body is dead, wouldn't they just decay into nothing after a while?" He looked over at Beth, his brows furrowed together in confusion and concentration.

"I don't know. Maybe. There was this university in Tennessee, I think, that had a place called 'The Body Farm.' I read a book about it once. They would take bodies donated to science and put them in various environments to study the different stages of decay. The ones out in the open and warm conditions would almost completely decay in a few months. The ones in simulated colder conditions decayed much slower." She wasn't sure if it would help answer his question, but she understood his question.

"We need to find a long term place an' wait this out down south."

"Good thing that's where we're headed." She responded with a smirk. "How long are we planning on spending here? We got more than enough supplies to get us back to my home."

"We might need to go further south than that," Beth stared at him with discontent.

"Don't you wanna know if your brother is alive?" She demanded. She saw the way his eyes disconnected from her and fell to the ground.

"Nothing can kill Merle, but Merle."

"Well maybe you don't care about your family, but I do," she began to walk away from him when he called back to her.

"Is that the same family you ran away from, the same family that abandoned you after your mother died? You wanna go back to them?" Daryl wasn't sure why he brought this up now but he was still a little wound up from the night before. And while she was accusing him of not caring about his brother, he wondered why she still cared so much about them.

"Well I'm sorry for actually caring about people," she had turned back around to face him, with her arms crossed over her chest, "Do you actually feel anything for anyone or are you just a heartless redneck bastard?"

"I ain't dealing with your high school bitch drama. Stay in the truck, wander off on your own, I don't fuckin care," he grabbed his crossbow, and made his way to the front gates to look for the gas station. He really didn't want to talk to her anymore and frankly, what she said stung.

He wasn't used to people caring about him and he certainly never thought he would ever let anyone bypass the walls he surrounded around himself. Maybe he was a little too harsh on Beth but he didn't know how to let someone in. Maybe he shouldn't bother and he should just distance himself from her while he had the chance, before it actually hurt if she left him.

The walk wasn't that far away, about four miles. Gave him time to think about what Beth had said and their plan to travel back to Georgia. Whole thing gave him a headache so he hoped to find some Tylenol there at least.

When he saw the station, his guard was immediately up. It looked to be abandoned with no visible cars around. Getting to the windows, the lights were all turned off so he couldn't see if there was anybody around. He checked the perimeter, and it seemed there was only two doors to get in or out. The front entrance had a padlock on the door, while the back entrance was more of a fire exit than anything, no visible way to get in. It didn't take him very long to get the lock picked and he slowly crept inside. He saw the place had a few gas cans along the wall with some merchandise, which he was thankful to see. In his haste to get away from Beth, he forgot to grab the few he had already found.

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and he slowly shifted his eyes to his surroundings. Something seemed off and he couldn't tell where it was. He maneuvered himself to a better position, so he could see the whole place but he still couldn't see towards the back.

Deciding to hurry up, he looked around the cash register, hoping to find another gun and some ammo. It seemed when they closed up this place, they took all the good stuff with them. He did manage to find some bottles of tylenol, and some protein bars on the shelves, along with some more canned food. He didn't have his bag with him to carry it all back, so he grabbed two shopping bags and filled it with whatever he could fit.

As he was crouched down on the floor, adding the bars as quickly as possible. He felt a hand grab onto his vest and fall down onto him. He was shocked at how silent the body was but it was the low growling that he heard that scared him. He could feel it's face going for his arm, it's teeth baring and ready to take a chunk out of his flannel and arm. He was pinned by the weight and he couldn't grab his knife or gun. His heart rate increased and he realized how bad this situation was for him.

Knowing this was his only chance, he used all his force and weight to flip from his stomach to his back, carrying the dead weight with him. As soon as he could, he grabbed his knife from his sheath and pulled his body away from it. Laying side by side, he sunk his knife deep into it's head, blood splattering all over his face.

Once he was sure that it was dead, he allowed himself to sit back and catch his breath. His heart was beating so fast, it felt like it would explode out of his chest. He made a terrible mistake and he was more pissed at himself than anything now. He should have trusted his gut and checked everywhere before looking for supplies. It was a hard lesson to learn, and he was glad that he survived so he would be able to do it the next time.

Grabbing the gas cans off the wall, and his two grocery bags off the floor, he left the station and went outside to find their diesel tanks. He was hoping that because they were out in the country, maybe they would have the above ground tanks that the farmers used. He assumed that because this place was locked down tight, the pumps had been shut off and drained, but there was a good chance that the diesel tanks were still full.

He made it to the side of the building, where they were located and opened the fuel lines to see if anything would flow. He was relieved when something was coming out and it didn't seem to have been siphoned dry.

As he was filling up the can, he took a look at his surroundings. He had a wall in front of him, but he was open to all the other sides. He thought he would be able to hear if anything was coming down the gravel road, as even the dead would scuff their feet. It was the open field on the other side that he worried about. The grass was overgrown and anyone could be hiding out in there. It wasn't just the dead he needed to worry about, it was also the living. People did crazy things when they thought they were in danger. He knew that if it was between a stranger and Beth, he would kill for her at anytime.

He saw something dark bobbing around at the top of the light coloured brush. He had to squint his eyes to try and make out what it could be. Whatever it was, it wasn't moving. But then a gust of wind happened to kick up and brought his scent along with it to the dark shadow, as it seemed to move closer to him. It was a hundred yards away but Daryl could finally make out what it was. And it wasn't alone. A large undead grouping seemed to come out of nowhere and start making their way towards him.

He stopped pumping the gas and closed it off, keeping a sharp eye on the bodies coming towards him. He shouldered his crossbow, and grabbed the one gas can he managed to fill, along with the two grocery bags from inside. He started a brisk pace which escalated into a full run when he started to hear the groans from behind him. Rather than turning to look, he simply focused on the road ahead of him, the road back to Beth.

Beth sat on the bed, in the back of the rig, curled up into ball. She held his flannel shirt tight around her as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She hadn't expected to blow up at him like she did and she certainly never expected him to leave her behind without a care.

It felt like it had been hours since he left. She should have ran after him but she didn't even have a knife on her at the time, let alone anything else to protect herself with. Here she was, trying to prove to him that she would be a good partner, and she had already failed. She hid inside the truck and she had been crying ever since, the anger within her left when he did.

It had been a long time since she prayed, but she kept repeating the words in her head and outloud.

"Please let him be okay, look after him and let him be safe," she sobbed into her arms. She was afraid that for every minute that ticked by, it was another minute that he was in danger and she had no clue where he was.

She had the gun laid out beside her, within reach. She eyed it heavily, knowing it would be her only defense. It also would hold the answer for her should he not come back. Because if he wasn't there to keep her safe anymore, then she was as good as dead anyways.

She barely heard the scuffle of feet outside the truck, but she did hear the banging on the door. Her heart rate increased as she couldn't see who it was but she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him calling her name. She opened the door and allowed Daryl to come inside. He moved so fast, she fell into the passenger side seat, clutching the side to keep herself from falling to the floor. He dropped the bags, took his crossbow off his back, and shut the door behind him. He took one look at Beth, with her tear stained cheeks and immediately scooped her up in his arms and held tightly.

"Daryl, I-" She wanted to apologize, but he never gave her the chance. She was surprised when he pressed his mouth to hers roughly. He knew she was sorry, as he knew he was sorry for the way he spoke to her, but he didn't need to hear it.

As he kissed her, her mouth moving quickly against his to keep up with his frenzy, his mind played back the hateful way he spoke to her. He remembered seeing the flash of tears welling in her eyes as he brushed past her and he wished like hell that he could take it back. However, all thought ceased when he felt her mouth open under his, allowing his tongue to sweep past her lips.

Without realizing what he was doing, he pulled her closer and awkwardly dragged her back to the bed. He wasn't sure where this was going, but he didn't want it to stop and the front seats of his rig were not an ideal setting for anything at the moment.

Beth trembled beneath him, her chest rising and falling against his quickly. He finally released his hold on her mouth to make his way down to her neck. In the back of his mind, he knew this shouldn't be happening, but damn if he didn't want it to. He knew he didn't want to leave her again.

Daryl began to unbutton the flannel shirt and was shocked to find that she had rid herself of everything but it and her underwear. He broke their kiss to look down at her body and she damn near took his breath away. Beth began to shift nervously under his gaze and moved to cover herself with her arms. He stopped her, his hands around her wrists and to her side, and it didn't go unnoticed that her breathing hitched at the movement and fear crossed her eyes.

He quickly let go of her when it all suddenly clicked for him. The reason she was alone and curled into herself in the diner, the blank look that crossed her face anytime she talked about traveling before him, and the knee jerk reaction to him at this moment. Someone had tried to rape her before he found her.

She could practically see the wheels turning and the connections being made as he pulled away from her. He had startled her, yes. But she wasn't afraid of him. "Don't go." She pleaded. "It's in the past and I know you aren't like that. We just need to slow things down a little. I just want to forget." He looked at her, hints of pity and anger in his eyes, but he slowly made his way back to her.

"I ain't gunna hurt ya." He lowered his body down on the bed next to her, his arm bent and holding his head up as he spoke to her.

"I know." She relaxed next to him, her earlier panic slipping away. She knew she trusted him before, but now she was sure he would never do anything to her that she didn't want. She brought his free hand up to her stomach and laid it, palm flat, against her stomach. Chills and heat coursed through her body simultaneously as his thumb rubbed tiny circles above her navel. She slowly moved his hand up to her breast and let him go as he cupped her softly. His eyes studied her face, looking for any sign that she might break. "This isn't the first time you've touched me, Daryl." She reminded him. He nodded and tried to push the mental image of someone trying to take her against her will out of his mind.

He ran his fingers over every inch of her flesh before traveling his hand back down, his eyes darting between the white cotton panties and her eyes, ever mindful of any sign she might put off. She closed her eyes and sighed, her breathing quickening in anticipation. He allowed the tips of his fingers to slip past the band of her underwear and feel the soft flesh just below. As his hand slipped lower, his fingers dipping between her folds, he bent his head down to kiss her shoulder softly. Her sudden gasp as he found her clit edged him on.

He realized that as much as this started out with him needing to feel her, to feel alive, it was now more about her and the need to make her feel comfortable again. He was becoming extremely uncomfortable in his own clothes but it didn't matter to him as he stroked and rubbed her. In this second, he felt more alive than he possibly could have, buried inside of her.

He watched every twitch of her face, heard every whimper and moan as she felt what he was doing to her. He dipped one finger lower, gathering the moisture that he was creating and stroked her again. He moved his finger over her quickly and she gasped loudly, her body trembling once again much harder than before. Her breathing came out in quick pants as her muscles clenched in her body. He continued on for a few seconds more, allowing her orgasm to draw on until she relaxed and opened her eyes.

She took a few moments to gather herself back together and looked over at him. "You gunna give me a chance to apologize now?" She asked with a lazy smile.

"Think ya just did." He said with a smirk. She rolled over to her side and began to run her hands down his stomach and to the top of his jeans. He stilled her hands and shook his head. "Don't gotta do that." He leaned over and kissed her softly as he pulled her shirt back together. "Another time." He paused for a moment before pushing forward. "What happened… ya know… before?"

Beth sighed heavily, her smile falling as she laid back down next to him. "I was hitch-hiking and someone in a jeep or something stopped and picked me up. He seemed nice enough and I was naive to think that nothing would happen. When we stopped for the night, he insisted that I pay him for his charity. He pinned me down in the back of the jeep and…" she took a steadying breath so she could continue.

"S'ok, I don't need details." Daryl's fingers played in her hair soothingly.

"Someone stopped to check on us before anything could happen. The guy got spooked and ran and I ended up riding in the back seat of a van between two kids for a day before I took off." She sat silent for a few minutes before speaking again. "You're turn. What happened out there?" He shrugged before finally answering.

"One snuck up on me. Tried to take a bite outta my arm then saw a few more while I was gettin' gas. Just had some time to think, mostly."

"About what?"

"How I ain't gunna leave ya again."

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I don't know how many of you were expecting that to happen. This was a super long chapter, and we kept going back and changing things throughout but we are happy with what we finished with. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this chapter so leave a review.

Thanks to Carla for always helping us out. We both appreciate it so much!

See you guys Friday with the next update!


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: brady66, StrangersAngel, Creed757, megs27, rckyfrk, DarylDixon'sLover, Abbi, TWDFan05, BubbaSue, malzateb, kevkye (x2), jeanf, moriahhh, Ayame2004, Scifigirl22, Ela1980, Reignashii, MistressKitten, Coffeeandsippycups

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For the next week, Beth and Daryl barely left each other's sides, apart from using the bathroom and they were still within a short distance of each other then. They continued with gun training, and survival skills, Beth actually skinning her first squirrel the night before. And with his newfound knowledge, Daryl had also started teaching Beth how to throw a punch and protect herself. She was catching on, although not always getting it right. She knew this was important to him and she also knew that it could help her out in the future if she was ever in a bad situation.

He was making her stronger and she admired him even more for it. He simply wasn't going to just protect her, he was teaching her how to protect herself and survive. She was not a liability, she was becoming an asset to him. But he was also biding his time before he knew she would insist they leave the little sanctuary they had built in that trailer park.

He had taken her back to the gas station to pick up more fuel, as well as more of the food that was still there. He learned from his own mistakes the first time, and checked the whole place out before allowing Beth to get the supplies. He stayed back, and kept watch to make sure nothing would creep up on them.

Beth looked around, beyond the food and drinks, seeing what other supplies she could find. There was an impressive collection of travels mugs and souvenirs along the back wall. She had hoped for something a little more useful and she guessed someone was looking down on them because on the floor, knocked over was a display of area maps. She grabbed a few, picking them over until she found a map for Arkansas and for the states they would need to take to get back to Georgia. Throwing those at the top of her pack, she got up off the floor and made her way over to Daryl. She looped her finger into his belt loop and pulled him along to follow her. They had agreed to keep silent between them, and since she was still learning, she used her own tactics to get his attention.

Once they were a safe distance away and he was certain that nothing was going to come jumping out at them, he relaxed slightly.

"They had some maps in there, figured we might need them to get back to Georgia." She spoke softly as he taught her to.

"Yeah, we'll stay away from the main cities and stick to the woods as much as possible. Glad we found that pop out tent the other day."

"Such a shame we only found that one sleeping bag though," she flirted with him. He gave her a quick smile.

"If it get's cold, best way to keep warm is to sleep together naked anyway," he flirted back.

"Who says it needs to be cold?" Beth nudged her shoulder into his arm and giggled. They hadn't been intimate with one another since a week ago, and she did miss it. That didn't mean that nothing was going on, they were just more aware that this was not the time to be having sex or fooling around. There was crazy monsters walking around trying to eat them, they needed to focus more on survival than their libido. She did still enjoy curling up to him at night in their small twin sized bed. It was those small moments that made these days bearable.

Getting back to the trailer park, and putting the chain around the gates allowed them to release some tension. Daryl still felt the need to walk around and make sure that no one had joined them while they were gone. They had devised a security system a couple days before with the abandoned trailers. They had found some duct tape and taped the bottoms of the trailer doors and windows closed. They would know if someone has gotten in if they saw the tape had been tampered with. It made things go faster than checking every single trailer around them.

Daryl had also come up with a great idea to string some empty cans between some of the trees. This allowed them to hear any noise of people dead or alive, coming towards them. They were far enough back that it would give Beth and Daryl time to get away, but close enough that they could hear them.

Once they were sure that everything was okay, Beth started their fire while Daryl grabbed some cans of soup to warm up. Daryl had sat on the ground and leaned on the back wheel of the truck and Beth came and sat in front of him, pulling his arms around her. They sat in silence while the cans warmed up, listening for whatever was around them. It was still afternoon, and the sun was really warming things up.

"We still planning on leaving in the next few days?" she asked, cuddling into his arms more.

"Yeah, I'll go over the maps tonight, figure out the best way to get there."

"I'll go over our supplies again. Found a few more first aid items in the gas station we can add."

"We're gonna have to keep those packs as light as possible for when we start travelling by foot. Might have to take out those boxes of condoms you threw in there."

"Found those, did ya?"

"Yeah, along with the boxes you hid in the drawer, ya little minx."

"Gotta be prepared for every situation," she responded with as much sass as she could without laughing.

"You're gonna be the death of me, girl."

"But what a way to go." She got up and checked on the cans of soup on the fire.

"Ya don't even know what it's like, remember." He shot back.

"I guess that means you'll just have to show me." She shrugged, batting her long eyelashes at him.

"Tease," Daryl muttered, gnawing on his bottom lip to keep from grinning at her boldness. She brought the warmed cans overs and sat back down between his legs. Handing him his, she kissed him softly below his ear, along his neck but turned back to her food to start eating.

As he didn't believe in using a spoon, he drank it straight from the can, so he could use his other hand to hold onto Beth. All their flirting had definitely had an effect on him and he was hoping they might be able to relax a little together after their dinner. He had placed his hand underneath her shirt, and was caressing the skin of her hip, his subtle sign of what she was doing to him. She laid her head back on his shoulder, her spoon and can dropping down into her lap, as she enjoyed the feel of his hand on her flesh.

The moment was cut short by the distant sounds of cans rattling. Daryl immediately sat up, Beth lurching forward as a result of his movements, and grabbed his crossbow.

"Wait here." He instructed as he moved to the fences. Once he reached the fence line he saw one of the dead trying to get past the obstruction it its way. He relaxed when he realized it was just one. But that was short lived when he saw another, then another, then another emerge from the treeline. Before he knew it, he couldn't count the number of bodies moving against the alarms or past them. Dozens piled up against the fence and Daryl watched the cheap and weakened structure begin to tumble under the weight. He panicked and ran back to the truck, back to Beth.

"Beth! Get in the truck!" She jumped up quickly and looked at him cautiously.

"What's going on?"

"Get your shit and get in the truck! I'll be there in a minute!" He shouted as he ran around grabbing as much as he could.

"I'm not gunna leave you!" She called back.

"Go now!" He demanded as he gathered up all the weapons they had sitting around. The fence wouldn't hold much longer and they needed to get out of here now. He watched her climb into the truck and he sighed in relief before heading to the drivers side. He heard the fence collapse and, in morbid curiosity, he watched the herd of the dead stagger towards them. He wondered what drew them to the spot, they had made every attempt to keep as quiet as possible.

Daryl could see Beth's panicked face, as she clutched the seat. He started the truck and put into gear as the first of the bodies started making their way closer to them. He punched the gas and lurched forward, colliding with bodies. Beth shut her eyes in fear as she could hear the bodies hitting the front grill and bouncing underneath the wheels. They needed to get out of there as fast as they could.

They had placed the chain along the gate but it wasn't locked so he knew if he gave enough force, they would make it through. Getting into second and then third gear, he slammed through the gates and got back onto the gravel road. Beth had opened her eyes and looked in the side mirrors to see just how many were there to attack them.

"There were dozens back there," she informed him. He scrunched his eyebrows in frustration but acceptance.

"We have to put as much distance between us and them."

"Where are we gonna go?"

"Grab the map from the back, try and figure where we are. I'll find us a way," Beth nodded her head and left her seat to rummage through her pack. Once she grabbed the Arkansas map, she sat on the bed and ran her finger down from Little Rock to where the Trailer Park was. She folded the map up to the area and brought it to the front.

"We need to get onto Highway 530 and get down to Pine Bluff. We can go around the city and hopefully not get into too much trouble." He grabbed the map and saw where she was pointing to with her small finger.

"Good girl. Was hoping we wouldn't have to go around Little Rock." he replied, giving the map back to her.

"I'll try and keep us away from the larger cities but we might not have a choice. Need to get as far as we can with this thing." Beth added.

"We'll keep an eye out for fuel. I have those cans loaded in the back plus the tank is pretty full. Might be able to make it if we find more,"

She got up again to grab Daryl's flannel and curl herself into it. He knew that she was upset and just needed some comfort and if he wasn't able to give it to her, his shirt was a good substitute.

She made sure that he wore it every once again to keep the smell intact but it now belonged to her and Daryl was not going to mind.

He got them as far as he could before he needed to call it a night. It was pitch black outside when he pulled off to a small road, blocked by some of the trees and bush. It wasn't the safest place in the world, but he just needed to get some sleep so he could get them back on the road.

He made sure that the doors were locked and their bags and weapons were within arms' reach. Beth had made her way to the bed, tucking herself closest to the wall, facing Daryl as he triple checked everything. It would be the first time she wore pants to bed since he met her but they both knew that they had no safety anymore. They were sitting ducks and he only hoped that they could make it back to Georgia, together.

He knew sleep would not come easy, as they both worried about what this night would bring. He didn't need much so even getting a few hours would be better than nothing. He climbed into bed beside her, both facing towards each other and he put his arms around her to keep her close. She tucked her head under his chin and placed her hands on his neck, as a way to touch the bare skin she was accustomed to.

It was quiet but he could hear her breathing. He wished that she would fall asleep but that would be impossible after the day they had. He kissed her head and rubbed her back, to help ease her fears. But he felt her move around and eventually untucked her head and moved her hands to behind his head, behind her ears. It was so dark out that he could barely make out where she was but he felt her face close in on his, she kissed his lips lightly, barely touching them and pulled back slightly.

"I love you," she whispered so quietly into the silence of the truck. His heart rate increased as he took in what she had told him. Rather than try and figure out the words to explain his feelings for her, he tenderly kissed her, hoping to pass on his thoughts through his lips. Regardless of everything that was going on outside, this moment was all about them.

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Thanks to everyone for the follows, and reviews. We are over the moon with the response.

Thanks to Carla for all the help and direction she gives us.

We're coming up to the fun part where our duo meets up with some familiar faces. Anyone wanna take a guess as to whom it is?


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks to all those who reviewed: DarylDixon'sLover, Tweety83, brady66, rckyfrk, nightdrive23, Lobo, Scifigirl22 , alliesmiley2, Lady of Sign, TWDFan05, kevkye, Ela1980, malzateb, Guest, moriahhh, Isabella's Mom, BubbaSue, Reignashii, Satanic-cat-sweater, Trixieviv, jeanf, Indiana Smith

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They had been driving for a week now. Daryl was cursing how long it was actually taking. Normally, they would have been there in less than a day but with all the abandoned vehicles littering the roads, and all the unscheduled stops to pick up more supplies and use the bathroom, it felt like their day trip was turning into a month long excursion.

Thankfully, they hadn't seen too many dead people wandering around. They seemed to bypass a herd by taking a few back roads, although they did see the odd straggler, eating it's latest meal of human or animal. It was starting to wear on both of them. Daryl, being the light sleeper he was, noticed that Beth was sleeping less and less. She was worried about how long it was taking them to get home. She was losing energy and he couldn't do very much to help her.

They had never spoken about those words she whispered to him that night, and he never uttered them back to her. They were both in survival mode, and figuring out their relationship wasn't a top priority. They may have slept in the same bed together, but they hadn't touched since they left the trailer. He hugged her close at night, and she grabbed his hand reassuringly during the day but they remained focused on their task of getting back to Georgia.

They had just bypassed Montgomery, Alabama, when their luck turned south. He began to slow down to stop the rig, due to the sea of broken down or abandoned cars, when he felt a rumble beneath his foot.

"Shit." He growled as he frantically began to downshift and steer the rig away from the barricade not twenty yards away from them. Thankfully they weren't going fast, he couldn't risk driving over 40 on the narrow back roads in the beast of a truck, so he didn't have as much trouble stopping as he had thought. Once the rig had slowed enough, he threw the emergency brake and it jolted to a rough halt.

"What was that?" Beth asked. He jumped out of the truck and began to inspect the area just behind the tires. Just as he had thought. He climbed back into the driver's seat and closed the door behind him.

"Fuckin' brakes are shot. All that startin' and stoppin' we've been doing to move shit. Can't take it any further." He glanced at her, instantly noticing the pale look that crossed her face.

"We have to walk?" It wasn't really a question. They both knew, deep down, that this day was coming. He had just hoped they could have gotten a little further.

"You got the bags all packed and ready for this, we'll be okay," Daryl reassured her. She slowly got out of her seat and made her way to the back to double check the packs. She threw in whatever else would fit, some water bottles, more canned food and Daryl's flannel that was laying on the bed.

"Are we leaving right now, or we spending one more night in here?" Beth was hesitant to ask, not ready to leave their safe place just yet.

"Still got plenty of light, we should start moving." She nodded and double checked everything.

"Not much left in here, so if anyone raids this place, they'll get a few cans of food and a warm bed to sleep in."

"Not too worried bout that, just want to get movin'. Might get there faster on foot now."

They grabbed each of their packs and put them on. Daryl grabbed his crossbow, having to hold it over his shoulder. Beth had the pop up tent, which she managed to wedge between the straps and her back. They both had their knives attached to their belts and guns sitting in their holsters.

They were quiet as they started their trek. Soon, the truck was nothing but a distant memory, they could barely see behind them on the road. Usually Beth was okay with the silence between them but she was really scared of being out in the open at the moment and didn't know how to convey her feelings. She saw that Daryl's hand was free, his other clutching the strap of his crossbow and she took the chance to hold his hand for comfort.

Daryl felt her fingers inch their way into his. He'd become accustomed to Beth needing physical touch to make her feel better, so he wasn't going to pull away from her now. He intertwined their fingers as they continued down the road.

As the day progressed and the sun was starting to set, Daryl took them off into the woods.

"Why are we heading in there? Wouldn't the road be safer?" she questioned him, almost pulling him back towards the road.

"Nah, too open out there. Can hide ourselves better in the bush."

He found a small clearing, just big enough for them and their tent and took his bag off. He looked around, keeping an eye for any movement between the trees. Beth grabbed the string and some of the empty cans she had stashed in the bad to make some noise makers. She put them around the trees, further away from their camp so they would have as much notice as possible to anything coming their way.

Daryl watched her back, and luckily, they didn't have any visitors. While he started on the small fire, Beth got the tent setup for their sleep. They had maintained silence for most of the day, and Beth was actually starting to get annoyed with how quiet he was being.

"How long you think it will take us?"

"Dunno. We passed Montgomery about an hour before the truck broke down an' we probably only walked two miles today. I'd say we're about forty fives miles from there. Drove from Atlanta to Montgomery once an' I think it was around 180 miles. Maybe less."

"We're gunna need to find another car." She muttered.

"Ain't gunna do us any good, just break down like the damn truck if we have to keep movin' shit around."

"So we're just gunna walk 180 miles to the farm?" She didn't mean to sound accusatory, but being out in the open and Daryl acting as if it was no big deal was starting to weigh on her.

"I'm sorry, I left my teleporting machine back in that diner I found ya in." He sneered, clearly not amused by her complaints.

"You don't have to be sarcastic," She whispered, her voice sounding weak even to her own ears. She instinctively pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Suddenly, she was transported back to that fateful diner, feeling like nothing once again.

"I don't know what else ya want from me, girl. I'm keepin' ya alive!" He bit back at her, his voice rising slightly.

"Daryl, keep it down." She pleaded as fear of one of those things hearing him clinched at her tightly.. He scoffed and looked back over the fire.

"Go get some sleep. I'm keepin' watch." He grunted dismissively.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" He shrugged in response. "Don't just shrug me off. You need to sleep." She insisted.

"In case you haven't noticed, we're out in the open and a few cans on a string ain't gunna keep those things from rippin' that tent apart to get to us."

"Stop!" She snapped back at him. She had enough of his bitterness and negativity. "Don't start talkin' to me like I'm a child just because we're stuck out here. I'm trying to help figure out how to help get us there, too! You don't get to talk to me like this because you're afraid!"

"I ain't afraid of nothing."

"Bullshit! I saw you. When those things tore down the fence. You were scared." Her voice softened. "It's ok to be afraid. Just don't push me away." He looked away from the fire to her, her face was soft and caring. He didn't see the fear and frustration he saw there earlier. "Don't shut me out." She whispered. He watched her for a moment, studying her, before he gave her a slight nod and his shoulders slumped. The tension in his chest evaporated in defeat.

They sat in silence for a while longer until Beth scooted closer to him. He watched her movements curiously. She wrapped her arm through his that rested on his knee and tucked her head up against his shoulder. He felt like he should apologize but he wasn't sure how.

They sat next to each other, only moving to grab some food from the bags and heating it up on the fire. The tension seemed to dissipate as they ate, and a calmness settled over them. Daryl didn't like getting mad at her, especially now that they only had each other. It was just easier for him to revert to his old ways of secluding himself and putting walls up around him. But Beth was becoming someone who knew how to knock those walls down. She only wanted him, and those three words she uttered to him a week ago still ran through his mind.

He had spent all the silent time between them, trying to figure out what he felt for her. It was something strong, he knew that. Whenever they were apart for small amounts of time, and especially when his anger got the best of him, he felt his chest constrict and his heart ache. He had been around her everyday for more than two months and being away from her felt unnatural.

Once they finished eating and the fire died down, he nudged her shoulder with his arm and nodded towards the tent.

"You sleep first, I'll keep watch out here," he whispered to her. She merely looked up with her big doe eyes and batted her eyelashes.

"You can keep watch inside the tent with me." Her voice was laced with seduction and Daryl knew what she was insinuating. It had been quite some time but he knew he needed to keep his head straight.

"You need to sleep Beth, you gotta take over for me eventually," he responded, trying to keep the rejection to a minimum as to not upset her.

"I will sleep, I just like you being next to me," she added with sweetness. He sighed and pushed his hair back with his hand. She moved to get into the tent and laced the door to keep it open. She grabbed his flannel, and with her back turned to him, removed her shirt and replaced it with his. He knew what she was trying to do and he felt his resolve start to crumble.

She crawled into the sleeping bag, leaving it open for him to slide in next to her. He got in the tent and laid down beside her. He was on his back, trying to keep the impure thoughts at bay. He felt that if he looked at her, he would snap and would probably go down a path they shouldn't be taking.

Beth snuggled close to him, even grabbing his arm so she could get in right beside him. She wrapped her arm around his torso, and leaned on his shoulder. If she could stay like this the rest of the night, he would have no problem but as luck would have it, she wasn't going to listen.

He felt her light kisses on his chest, even through the shirt he wore. She moved up slightly, to make her way to his collarbone. Rather than let her continue, he needed to stop her before she went too far.

"What are you doin, Beth?" he grumbled.

"You haven't kissed me properly in a week Mr. Dixon. Girl needs to know she's still wanted."

"If I kiss you, will you go to sleep?" He chanced a look at her, to see her eyes hooded with desire. She bit her lip and nodded slowly. He moved closer to her, using his free hand to cup her chin. When he was almost able to feel her lips against his, he stopped.

"Believe me, I want ya, but we got to stay safe and gettin' carried away right now isn't safe. I mean it, a kiss and then you go to sleep."

If Daryl thought he was making a point, she obviously didn't care enough because she grabbed his face and pressed her lips hard against his. He was momentarily stunned by her boldness. However, when he heard her moan against his lips, his own words were lost to him. She shifted next to him, maneuvering her other arm to grab his hair. Figuring, he could enjoy a few minutes, his hand descended to her hip, pulling her closer allowing her to feel his reaction to her. Another moan escaped her lips, but it allowed him to thrust his tongue into her mouth.

They were getting carried away with their hands roaming, and their mouths battling for dominance. They had shifted so he was now resting in between her thighs, their need for each other outweighing any safety they should be taking at this moment. Daryl's hand had made it's way underneath her shirt and was caressing her breast.

He broke away from her lips to move his mouth down to her neck, gently scraping his teeth against her skin. Beth pulled on his hair when his bites became harder against her sensitive flesh.

"So much for one kiss," she gasped. She could feel his grin as he continued his journey toward her collar.

His hands moved to the outside of her shirt, to start unbuttoning the flannel when they heard a twig snap. His head shot up to look outside the tent with Beth stilled beneath him.

"Don't stop on my account." A familiar voice called out through the woods. Daryl knew that voice instantly and his whole body went rigid.

"Fuck." He climbed off Beth and climbed out of the tent. Beth realized immediately that he didn't seem afraid of the man outside, though her body was trembling in fright. She looked over to the forgotten crossbow in the corner of the tent, wondering who it was that would cause Daryl to leave his weapon behind.

"Holy shit. If it ain't my baby brother! Whatcha got in there, Darylena? Sounds like a sweet little thing with all them noises she's makin'."

"Fuck off, Merle."

* * *

A few of you guessed Merle so good job. Brandy and I both adore writing Merle so we knew he had to be included. What is he doing in Alabama, well, we'll be finding that out next chapter.

Thank you Carla for all the help you provide us.

To all the peeps who follow me on my tumblr site, UBFL, thanks for the continued love and support. You can follow Brandy at brandylynn1013 and you can follow my personal tumblr at sillymommy2010.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, rckyfrk, hmatlock, EdwardsLady1901, nightdrive23, megs27, malzateb, Lady of Sign, Ela1980, kevkye, Ayame2004, jeanf, TWDFan05, Scifigirl22, Reignashii, BubbaSue, Trixieviv, upsydaisy2, Coffeeandsippycups, TWDobsession, moriahhh, nikole salvatore

We broke 200 reviews, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

* * *

"What, no warm welcome for your big brother?" Merle sniggered at Daryl. Beth took a moment to realize what was happening. Merle Dixon, of all people, Daryl's brother, had found them in the middle of Alabama going at it like a couple of teenagers. Who would have thought?

Beth quickly scrambled out of the tent and stood next to Daryl and the opening.

"Damn, baby brother! She's a looker, that one!" Beth could see his eyes traveling down her body and she instantly realized why he was leering at her. In her haste to see Daryl's brother, she had neglected to cover herself properly. She quickly closed the flannel around her body as the blush of embarrassment rose over her face.

"What are ya doin' out here, Merle?" Daryl asked, ignoring Beth at the moment.

"Do we gotta talk business now? I think this sweet little honey might need some introductions."

"She knows who you are."

"Ah, ain't that sweet. Well, since my brother has forgotten his manners, guess I should get to know this pretty little thing myself." Merle's words made her skin crawl and she instantly took a step back as Daryl stepped in front of her.

Merle held his hands up innocently. "I get it, I'm just messin' with ya little brother. Anyone wearin' your favorite shirt 's gotta be someone important to ya." Merle grinned crookedly and sat down by the fire, which had been reduced to small flames while they were tucked away in the tent. Daryl relaxed as he watched his brother toss a few sticks on the flame to get it going again.

"Her name's Beth." Daryl mumbled as he sat down across from his brother. Beth hesitated for a moment before moving to sit next to him. Merle nodded to her and continued to feed the flames.

"I was a ways away lookin' for a place to hunker down for the night when I heard you two. Gotta be the hills around here, cause I could hear her moanin' echoin' around this place."

"You're full of shit." Daryl grunted in response. Merle broke out in another skin crawling grin.

"Alright, ya caught me. Didn't hear ya til I saw the fire. Figured if I was gunna camp close I should know who I'm sharin' air with, ya feel me?" Merle chuckled and looked back down at the fire. "Ya got anythin' to eat? I've been out for a few days lookin' for food." Beth noticed Daryl eye him suspiciously and she couldn't help but wonder how their last interaction went.

She dug into one of the bags to grab some jerky for him and held it out in front of him to take. He took it, giving her a wink before opening up the package to grab a piece.

"So how you two get together?" Merle eyed Beth and Daryl suspiciously. "You ain't ever been with a girl this pretty."

"Don't matter Merle," Daryl was tense as Merle looked her over. He didn't like the way he was treating her or looking at her and would deck him if he crossed the line. "You been alone all this time?"

"Was when the dead starting walkin round. Met up with a old friend of mine recently and have been with him and his group."

"Where they at now?"

"We's holed up in an abandoned building, got a few apartments in it so we each got our own space. I was out huntin' when I came across a herd of them walkers and here I am."

"Walkers?" Beth finally squeaked out.

"She does have a voice! Here I thought she could only moan!" Merle laughed rather loudly. "That's what we call them. Heard others call em' roamers or geeks.

"They near here?" Daryl was concerned that they would soon get ambushed but Merle didn't seem fazed.

"Nah, I broke through the trees and backtracked around. They're miles from here." Daryl relaxed slightly, knowing there wasn't imminent danger but his guard was still raised. Beth tried to stifle a yawn, but Daryl caught her.

"Get some sleep," he told her. She seemed concerned, leaving him alone with his brother and hesitantly got up to move inside the tent.

"Goodnight, sweet cheeks." Merle called after her. Beth felt herself shudder as she crawled into the tent and untied the opening to zip it shut.

Daryl turned to look at his brother with a glare once Beth was settled in the tent. He nodded his head outside of the treeline and Merle stood in agreement. That was one good thing about their relationship, years of hunting allowed them to develop an unspoken means of communicating. Once they were out of earshot of the tent, Daryl turned on his brother.

"Who'd ya meet up with?"

"Aw, come on. Don't get your panties in a twist over me, little brother. I'm with Joe." Daryl remembered Joe. He was Merle's pot dealer. At least it wasn't some janky tweaker.

"How far away is your place?"

"Bout a day's walk from here. Don't think they'd mind if you two tailed along." He turned away from Daryl and moved to a near by tree. Daryl could hear him unzip his fly and piss on the tree. He rolled his eyes and moved around anxiously. "Ya gunna tell me about you and blondie?" Merle asked. Daryl sighed, knowing his brother well enough to know that he wasn't going to let this go until he got his answer.

"Found her two months ago sitting in some shit hole diner at two AM. She rode with me in the truck until shit went south." Daryl gave his brother the short cliff notes version of the facts.

"She payin' her way around with ya then, huh?" Merle zipped up his pants and turned back to him.

"Ain't like that." Daryl muttered.

"Ya two sounded like a couple a coons in heat. But whatever you say, little brother." Merle eyed him for a moment before speaking again. "I know what you're doin', Daryl. Helpin' this girl cause we couldn't help ma."

"Stop, Merle."

"Always was the sweet one. Ain't gotta feel bad about it. Nothin' we coulda done to stop that bastard from killin' her. I just wish I coulda killed the old man myself for making her run." Merle spat bitterly. "You saw her and thought of ma, that's why you took her with ya. Wishin' someone had done the same for her."

"If it wasn't fucked up before…" Daryl grumbled as he kicked at a rock with his foot. Merle laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Ya mind if I get some sleep? Been a hard day running away from walkers and tryin' to break them off my trail." Daryl nodded sharply and they moved back to the camp, carefully stepping over the strings of cans as they did. Daryl watched his brother flop down on the ground and fall asleep almost immediately.

With both Beth and Merle asleep, Daryl leaned up against a tree to keep watch and do some thinking. He never thought he'd see his brother again, and here he was, snoring on the ground a few feet away from him. He took a glance at the tent hoping Beth was resting well. He was mentally kicking himself for letting things get out of hand. He knew they needed to be careful and yet again he was thinking with his dick rather than his head.

It was too easy to just be with Beth. She was willing and meant so much to him that he found himself getting lost in her with just a simple kiss. But going forward, they needed to be more careful. Once they met up with Joe and his group, he would have to have the dreaded conversation with Beth about their relationship. They were together but they needed to worry about their lives first, not their urges.

It seemed like time flew by, and Daryl felt it was around two in the morning. He nudged Merle with his foot to wake him so he could get some sleep. He trusted Merle enough to keep watch, that Beth could continue to sleep while he did. Merle slowly woke and nodded his head to his brother. Daryl tossed him some water and a can of beans from the bags before making his way into the tent.

Beth felt him moving around and opened her eyes. She could barely make him out, but she felt around till she could feel his body. He laid down and pulled her close.

"Merle's keepin watch, you keep sleeping," he whispered, kissing her softly on the forehead. She nodded and snuggled close to him. Her breathing evened out and her body relaxed within minutes. Daryl managed to nod off rather quickly with the crickets being the only sound around them.

The light came blaring through the thin tent walls, waking Daryl from his dreamless sleep. Beth stirred beside him, trying to block the light from her eyes. Beth was never a morning person, and they usually had the curtains to block out most of the light in the truck. He left her in the tent to check on Merle.

Opening the tent door, he was surprised to see that Merle was crouched over a fire, turning a few squirrels over it.

"Mornin' baby brother," He grinned, keeping an eye on the food in front of them. "Caught us some breakfast squirrel." Daryl mumbled a thanks and took a seat across from him. He still felt tired but was hoping that if they got back to this apartment complex tonight, he could get more sleep then.

A couple minutes later had Beth poking her head out of the tent. She had changed out of Daryl's flannel and was wearing her own shirt and sweater over top. She stepped out to see what Merle was cooking and looked over to Daryl.

"Morning sunshine, hope you got some beauty sleep," Beth nudged Daryl with her knee to grab his attention. He looked up to see her nod towards the trees. He stood up and grabbed his crossbow.

"Gotta take a piss, we'll be back" He led and Beth followed till they were a reasonable way away from Merle.

As Beth took care of business, Daryl had his back turned but kept an eye out for any walkers.

"Your brother is interesting," Beth said, not quite sure how she felt about Merle herself.

"Merle is Merle,' he replied back.

"You trust him though right?"

"Yeah, he's blood. Course I trust him," Beth stood up, pulling her pants back on.

"I'll trust him too then." She traded places with Daryl, to allow him time to relieve himself. When they got back to the camp, Merle had taken the meat off the fire and was opening up some canned peaches.

"Are we heading back to your group after this?" Beth spoke up. Merle nodded his head.

"Should be there by nightfall as long as you can keep up there, sweet cheeks." Beth glared at Merle with disgust.

"I'll be just fine," she replied with a bite. Daryl could feel the tension rolling off her as his big brother was merely having a laugh at her expense. He added a glare to his brother as he finished off his food.

Packing up didn't take as long, even Merle lent a hand with taking down the noise makers. They started to make their way, by Merle's directions, back to the apartment complex where the rest of the group was.

"Ain't many of us, but Joe took it upon himself to lead an' the rest of us just let him. Only rule is don't lie to him."

"It's all men?" Beth hesitated to ask but needed to know. She knew in these times, people did drastics things and a group of men with a single woman was not a good equation.

"Don't worry blondie, me and loverboy'll keep an eye out for ya," He winked towards her and continue leading. Beth looked to Daryl with concern but there was really nothing he could do to calm her. He knew guys like this and he only hoped that because the world seemed to crumble just recently, they weren't desperate men yet.

They stopped for lunch, when the sun was high in the sky. The heat was getting worse by the day and Beth found herself needing more and more water. They still had quite a few bottles of water left but with this heat, they would deplete their supply pretty fast. Hopefully this apartment still had running water or at least a water source or they would be in trouble.

Instead of trying to hunt some food, they decided to just use up some of the canned food they had packed. Merle had mentioned they had raided a grocery store nearby so they had plenty to go around for a little while. Merle and one of the other guys, who owned a compound bow, were in charge of hunting fresh meat.

They were sitting on the ground, leaning up against a few trees when Daryl started to hear some growling. It wasn't the usual wild animal he was used to hearing, it was the sound he dreaded. He immediately came to attention and looked around him to find where the noise was coming from. Beth could tell that his hunter instincts had taken over and began to search around herself.

"We need to leave, start heading this way," Daryl said, getting off the ground. He grabbed Beth's pack and handed it to her once she had gotten up, and looked to Merle.

"Camp's that way" Merle pointed east but Daryl shook his head.

"That's where they comin' from, we need to head North for a bit, till we lose them. See if we can get higher ground, see where they're comin' from." Merle huffed in annoyance at being re-routed but followed his brother.

"Goldilocks got ya actin' like a pussy, baby brother. Probably just one of em, don't need to go miles outta the way just cause you're afraid of gettin' her hands dirty." Merle grumbled as he caught up to Daryl. Beth followed just behind them but heard every word clearly.

"Ain't just her I'm tryin' to keep safe." Daryl shrugged, trying desperately to not let his brother get under his skin.

"Ya been holed up an' safe since this started, haven't ya?"

"Truck broke down yesterday." Merle snickered.

"Ya've grown soft, little brother. Ya need to be out in this shit to sur-" he was cut off by the snapping of a branch from just ahead. They stopped quickly, Daryl raising his bow and Merle pulling his knife.

A half eaten body shambled out from the tree line and Daryl was quick to put a bolt in its head. The brothers walked up to examine it, commenting on how it could move with half of its leg missing. They didn't hear the rustling coming from the left of them, close to where Beth was fuming over Merle's comments.

The noise caught her attention quickly and her head snapped to the side. She watched the young woman, now dead but alive, coming for her with outstretched arms. Beth pulled her knife quickly and tried desperately to ease the panic in her body. She needed this. She needed to kill this thing to prove to them that she could handle herself. She'd be lying if she said a small part of her wasn't excited to kill it and prove herself.

She waited for it to get closer to her, noticing that it wasn't making much noise at all other than the shuffling on the forest floor, and drew her arm back. Her left arm reached out and grabbed the _walker_ by its shoulder to try and hold it back so she could kill it. The idea was easier to imagine than execute. The dead hand reached out and grabbed hold of the sleeve on the flannel shirt and its mouth turned to her wrist in excitement. She let out a gasp that grabbed the attention of the brothers still examining the body.

"Beth!" Daryl shouted, his crossbow aiming at the new target. Fearing she might miss her chance, she quickly thrust the blade of her knife into its head and sighed in relief when it stopped moving and fell to the ground, her knife still implanted in its skull. She reached down and tugged at it a few times until it was free.

"Got it." She said with a huff. Daryl looked terrified but Merle watched her with a smirk.

"I think she just handed ya your nuts on a platter, there brother." He bellowed in laughter. Beth couldn't help but smile as Merle came over and clapped her hard on her back. "Ya got a pair, I'll give ya that, girlie."

Beth sat down on the ground and began wiping her blade off on the grass, still proud of herself for her success but mentally shaken by how close it came to biting her arm. She needed to re-think her hand to hand attack with them and keep as far back as possible. Daryl moved to stand above her, his gaze dark.

"Ya shoulda called for me." He scolded.

"I can take care of myself."

"Ya, keep tellin' yourself that." He bit back. She knew he was just worried about her and decided to let the comment drop. She was, after all, no cold blooded killer. She probably wasn't capable of taking care of herself just yet, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. She just hoped that it didn't get her killed. Or bit.

"Gunna need some more lessons soon." She said softly. "It got a little too close." He nodded and turned back to his brother.

"We'll figure it out when we get to where we're goin'." She nodded in agreement and stood back up, her knife slipping back into its sheath.

"Hurry up. We got another five hours or so if we take this route. Lets get a move on!" Merle shouted. Beth waited for Daryl to move and caught up to walk beside him. He didn't say a word to her so she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. She couldn't help the feeling in her gut that told her this was a very bad idea.

* * *

So Merle has been with Joe for the past few weeks, hmmmm. How is that gonna go? You guys enjoying this so far?

Thanks to Carla for helping us out! We adore you!

Chapter 12 is gonna be interesting as Daryl and Beth meet this new group. How do you think they handle it?


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks to everyone who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, castlefan83, BubbaSue, rckyfrk, brady66, nikole salvatore, Scifigirl22, StrangersAngel, jeanf, nightdrive23, malzateb, Ela1980, kevkye, moriahhh, Reignashii , hmatlock, SirensCalling, Trixieviv

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Their walk ended up taking more than the five hours that Merle had said. They got side tracked again by some walkers, this time a small herd of them. Rather than the three of them trying to take on the twenty or so, they simply moved quickly in the opposite direction till they felt it was safe again.

It was getting dark by the time Merle could see the small area where several buildings were located. It seemed to be the outskirts of a small town with several homes long abandoned and the apartment building where they would be staying. Beth could still feel the dread she felt before, like this wasn't a good idea at all. Rather than voice her opinion, she did what she told Daryl she would do, trust Merle.

The closer they got, she could see curtains blocking light from the windows. It seemed like several curtains or sheets hung in the openings, but still allowed slivers of light to pass in spots. Merle hushed the two of them as they got within the last few yards. The sun was almost gone, leaving only the glow of the moon to light their way, but they were almost invisible in the dark.

Merle motioned for them to stop as he went ahead. Daryl kept his senses up to listen for any unusual noises. Beth was taking inventory of where everything was located, trying to find exit routes should her intuition be true.

"That you, Merle?" a hushed voice came from the roof.

"Yeah, let me in. Got some people with me," The man left his post to get back inside to let them in. Merle motioned for Daryl and Beth to come closer so that they could get in quick. It seemed to be taking longer than expected. Merle was tired, hungry and getting impatient as he started to bang on the front door. Daryl grabbed his arm back, glaring at him with the suggestion to keep quiet.

The door finally swung open and instead of the man on the roof, it was someone else, flanked by two others. Merle smirked, seeing his old friend taking stock of the newcomers.

"Was starting to think you ran out on us there Merle."

"Nah, got side tracked by them biters. Wasn't able to hunt but found somethin' better." Merle nodded to his brother and the girl.

"You know them?" he asked.

"My brother Daryl and his ol' lady." Joe, Daryl recognized, regarded him for a few moments and smiled widely.

"Oh, a bowman. I respect that. See a man with a rifle, coulda been a photographer or soccer coach back in the day. But a bowman's a bowman, through and through. " He looked from Daryl to Beth and stood in front of her. "Name's Joe. And what would your name be pretty girl?"

"Beth" She tried to have some confidence in her voice as she spoke but she probably sounded like a teenager trying to sound like an adult. These men leering at her were intimidating and even though she had Daryl right beside her, it still didn't calm her nerves.

"Very nice to meet you here, Beth. This here is Len and Mike, Harley was on the roof and there's a few more inside. Let's get you inside and warmed up," He directed them with his arm but still took the lead. Len and Mike waited for the three of them to pass before following behind.

They got inside to see a door on each side and some stairs leading up. Joe motioned them inside one of the apartments, where the rest of the group were sitting.

"This here is Dan, Billy, Tony, and Lou. Boys, this is Merle's brother Daryl and his girl Beth." He looked around to see the men ogling Beth, and sighed. "Don't need to remind you that we don't touch other people's possessions." Beth suddenly gripped Daryl's arm as she realized what Joe was implying. She knew it would be bad but these were not the type of men who looked like they respected much.

"Merle, your room is still yours and Daryl and Beth can take the other one,"

"That's my room!" Len yelled, getting in Joe's space. He merely gave out a chuckle and pushed him back.

"Well, we got ourselves a lady here now, and she deserves to have her privacy so you can sleep on the couch down here and not be a damn pussy bout it."

Len huffed and left the room to head upstairs, muttering to himself about the damn princess arriving.

Beth took in their surroundings and noticed how unkempt everything was. Food containers were littered everywhere, alcohol bottles broken in the corner, and cigarette butts over flowing in ashtrays.

"How long ago you did guys get here?"

"Mike here owns the complex and when the shit hit the fan, his tenants left. Made sense to use this till everything blows over," Joe replied. "You guys hungry. Probably got some deer meat left over in the kitchen." He went over to grab the tray of the cooked meat. Beth took it from him, hoping that he would show them to their place soon.

"Room's upstairs, I'm beat" Merle grunted. Joe nodded as Merle waved for them to follow him. Beth took a few pieces of meat and handed the tray back to Joe with a small smile.

Merle led them to the second floor and into apartment number 4. The room smelled like sweat, smoke, and vomit. Beth had to fight to keep from gagging. The living area was covered in trash. She'd never seen anything like this before and a part of her wanted to take her chances outside in the tent with the dead then stay here in this apartment.

"Pardon the mess, darlin'. Wasn't expectin' guests." Merle commented with a yawn. "Y'all are back there," he pointed to the room on the left, "If you'll excuse me, I have a bottle of jack and Ms. October waitin' for me."

Beth rolled her eyes and headed for their room. Merle stopped her. "If I was you, blondie, I'd ditch the sheets. Len had a thing for Ms. June." He laughed loudly as he closed his door behind him. Daryl opened the door and walked into the room, the floors littered with just as much trash as the rest of the apartment. Beth hesitated for a moment before following him, eyeing the bed suspiciously.

"I don't know if I can sleep knowing what Len did in here." Beth muttered as Daryl closed the door behind her.

"Better than bein' outside right now." He replied as he dropped his pack and bow and ripped the sheets from the bed. There was a large stain on the mattress that made Beth want to gag again. She tried not to imagine what it was.

"Can you at least flip it?" She asked, pointing at the mattress. Daryl smirked and nodded. He made quick work of flipping the mattress over to reveal a, thankfully, pearl white side that she felt slightly better about resting on.

Beth dropped her pack, pulled their sleeping bag from it, and began unrolling it to at least provide them some cover in the cool night. Once the bed was made, she pulled her jeans off and sat down waiting for Daryl to join her. He sat down next to her and Beth handed him a piece of meat Joe had offered them. They ate in silence for a few moments before curiosity got the best of her.

"How long are we stayin' here?"

"Dunno. We'll figure it out in the morning. We need to sleep." Daryl finished the deer meat and moved to the other side of the bed. Beth turned off the lantern Len had left in the room and crawled into bed. She laid on her back as she felt the shifting of the mattress move next to her. She stared at the darkened ceiling for a while before rolling over and curling into Daryl's side. She was relieved when she felt him wrap his arm around her.

She didn't realize how tired she actually was, because before she knew it, she was sound asleep.

Beth had woken early and was hard at work the next morning. It seemed this group of men had a thing for staying up late drinking, smoking god knows what, and sleeping in late. Merle was still passed out cold in his room, and Daryl wanted to take a walk around the complex before deciding on their next move.

Seeing as she had time to kill, she looked around the apartment and decided if she was going to spend one more night in that room, it was going to be cleaned thoroughly. She managed to find some cleaners under the kitchen sink that would work for scrubbing the walls and floors. The biggest plus was the floors were all laminate so cleaning them would be easier than carpet.

She grabbed a garbage bag and began picking up everything off the floor and under the bed. She moved furniture around as things had fallen behind them and under them. She got a lot completed by the time Daryl came back to the apartment with a opossum hanging from his hand. He took a look to their room and was amazed at how much cleaner it looked just by picking up the garbage.

"Found lunch" he stated, holding up his catch.

"I found two used condoms," Beth beamed sarcastically. She grabbed the bag to be tossed out and left it by the front door. She went to the kitchen to start mixing some cleaner and water together to start on the scrubbing.

"Nothing too close to here. Houses seemed to be gone through already."

"Seem safe enough for the time being?"

"Yeah, they always got a guy on watch on the roof. Talk to Joe about adding me on to it."

"What about me?" Beth looked him in the eye with concern. He said he would protect her but if he wasn't around, how would be do that.

"I'll make sure that either Merle or me is around. And for huntin, you come with me. You need some practice." he smirked at his little dig at her. She smiled at him, catching his joke and went back to the water bucket.

"See what Joe says. I can probably cook for everyone but I sure as hell ain't cleaning up after anyone but you." Daryl nodded and watched her go back to their room. He needed to clean his kill so he went up the roof where Mike was currently on watch.

Daryl sat down wordlessly a few feet away from Mike and began to clean rodent.

"Daryl, right? Merle's brother?" Daryl squinted up at the man, his eyes adjusting to the light behind him. He nodded quickly in response and turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Where were ya when shit went down? Merle never mentioned a brother." Mike seemed nervous.

"Travelin'. Was in Indiana."

"You meet her after?" Mike asked curiously.

"Why?" Daryl dropped the dead animal and held the knife tight in his hand. He didn't mind the questions about himself and his brother, but Beth was off the table to these lowlifes as far as he was concerned.

"Just wonderin'. I ain't lookin' to worry you or anything. But just keep an eye on her. Woman stopped in a few weeks ago looking for shelter and Len…" Mike trailed off and Daryl's eyes narrowed.

"Merle know?" Mike shook his head.

"Nah, Merle woulda killed him. Joe too. Just me there." Mike sighed and turned back to his watch. He muttered over his shoulder, loud enough for Daryl to hear him. "Keep an eye on her."

Daryl couldn't shake the anger running through him at that moment. He wanted to go grab Beth and just get the hell out of here, with or without his brother. It didn't matter. But the truth of the matter was they didn't have a pot to piss in right now, this was the best they had right now. He'd come up with a plan for her. It was all he could do. Before he could say anything else, the door to the roof opened and Joe appeared.

"When ya get done, come talk to me," Joe insisted to Daryl. He just nodded and finished skinning and gutting the animal, trying desperately to push the dread from his mind.

Beth was more than happy to be able to take a deep breath inside the bedroom. No longer the smell of cigarettes and alcohol but a lemon flowery scent. She could care less what Daryl thought of it either because she knew this room would have no trace of Len or anyone else remaining here afterwards.

She scrubbed the walls and floors and any hard surface with disinfectant so she knew it was a lot safer in here. She had removed the sheets and pillows and hoped that maybe she could convince Daryl to take her into one of the homes and see if they had extras. She highly doubted that any man in this group would think to grab new bedding from the homes so she might get lucky. The rug that was on the floor was thrown out the window as it was a lost cause. Now she felt better about sleeping in here and they would use the sleeping bag until they found something better.

Daryl came back with their meat, all cooked up. It seemed like most of it was missing so she assumed he had to share some with the rest of the group.

"Everyone else ate, this is what's left for you and Merle"

"You talk to Joe?"

"Yeah, gonna make sure that rotations are during the day but I gotta go huntin twice a week." he paused with a sigh, "without you."

"Why?" Beth was beyond livid. How could Joe actually say that to him?

"Doesn't want me getting distracted out there. Thinks we would just fuck and not come back with anythin'."

"Okay, first, we haven't even had sex yet. Second, we aren't that stupid. Third, you take huntin' seriously. You would tie me to a tree if I was distracting you."

"He don't know that." Beth huffed in annoyance.

"What am I supposed to do while you're gone then? I don't trust anyone of these guys."

"Merle is gonna keep an eye on you."

"No offense but your brother is an asshole. And it's the afternoon and he still hasn't woken up yet."

"He'll make sure that no one lays a hand on you. You can stay up here in the room while I'm gone." Beth noted how tense Daryl was and he didn't like this idea any better than she did. Rather than continue to argue with him, she placed her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"You need to wake your brother up and find out how long we are staying here." Daryl smirked and grabbed the half finished bottle of water from the counter of the kitchen. Making his way into Merle's room, he saw Merle passed out on his bed. Coming over to the side of the bed, he took the cap off and poured the remaining water on his brother's face.

Merle sputtered water out of his mouth and jumped from the bed. The sheet fell off his body, revealing him only in a tattered pair of briefs.

"What the fuck?" He groaned, his hangover hitting him full tilt.

"It's the fuckin afternoon Merle. Put some pants on and get out here." Daryl left his room, waiting for him to come out. Beth was in the kitchen, grabbing some jerky to munch on. Daryl sat on the barstool, hanging his head in frustration. Merle eventually came out of his room, taking longer just to annoy Daryl more.

"What's got your panties in a twist little brother?" he snickered to himself. Daryl shot him an angry glare and stood up nose to nose to him.

"I'm taking over your huntin duties from now on. While I'm gone, you're gonna stay here and keep an eye on Beth. Anythin' happens to her, it's on you!" Daryl made it clear with his words and posture that he was being serious. Merle was about to open his mouth and make a smart ass comment but Daryl spoke before he could. "I mean it Merle. No one fuckin goes near her."

"Sure baby brother. I'll keep an eye on her."

"We also need a plan on how long we're stayin' here. Beth and I were headed to Georgia before this."

"Need to play our cards right. These boys play fair, as long as we play their game." Beth brought Merle the leftover grilled meat on a plate and a bottle of water. He gave her a wink and started eating. "They need us and they ain't gonna let us ride on outta here that easily."

"Then we'll stay until we think it's safe to leave," Beth spoke. Daryl reluctantly nodded in agreeance. As Merle has said, they needed to keep playing nice with they guys, while keeping a close eye on them, until they felt safe enough to leave. It would take some time but they needed to secure a vehicle to make a quick getaway and some supplies to get them to her family farm.

Now that Daryl had found his brother again, he surely would be bringing him with them, but his main focus was still Beth and keeping her alive and safe. He knew that Merle would listen to him and protect her while he was gone, but he needed to keep training her to protect herself from everyone else. Daryl always believed in family first, and Beth was definitely part of that family now.

* * *

So we met Joe and the rest of his group. Yes, it's the Claimers group, and this is still pretty early in the ZA so they haven't yet figured out the claiming part yet, FYI. The only character we added here was Mike, because both Brandy and I have friends named Mike and Mike's Hard Lemonade is a bad influence on both of us.

Thanks to Carla for all her beta duties. She rocks!


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, kevkye, TWDFan05, Ela1980, jeanf , nightdrive23, soniabell, moriahhh, serenity2293, Trixieviv, BubbaSue, rckyfrk, upsydaisy2, Reignashii, Satanic-cat-sweater, Lettuce. (x5)

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They had been there for over a week. Beth had counted eight sunrises and with each one, her frustration and concern grew more and more with each passing minute. She knew what the plan was supposed to be-wait till they could make their escape. She wasn't sure if it was her discomfort being around these rough men she didn't trust or if she was afraid Daryl was forgetting about her and returning back to what was familiar. Daryl seemed to be at home with these men. She was beginning to see a side of him she'd never known existed. He was distant, and seemingly uncaring of her desire to get to her family. Whenever she asked about moving on, he would remind her that the timing wasn't right and they needed to bide their time.

At night, before he would come to bed, she would hear the brothers whispering, their words never loud enough to ring clearly in her ears. She began to wonder if they were planning on leaving her behind. She knew, rationally, that she was just being paranoid, but she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling that settled over her. It was only made worse by the obvious glares and leers from Len when Daryl wasn't around. She wanted to get out of here, yesterday.

It was after the ninth day, that she decided to play things in a different way.

Daryl had just come back to their room after hunting all day with Mike, his exhaustion weighing heavily on his features as he flopped on the bed. She curled up on the bed next to him, as she did the past few nights, and pretended nothing was different.

"Anything happen?" She asked, as she always did.

"Nah, bagged a few things. Not many walkers this time." Her smirk turned into a full grin at the thought of less walkers to deal with.

"Good." She whispered, her voice heavy. He hummed his response and she watched his eyes close. She knew now was her chance to strike, to take control and make him hers to control. She began to toy at the buttons on his shirt, his attention not fully on her movements at that moment, just as she had planned. Once she had gotten all the buttons open, she began to trail small kisses down his chest to his abdomen. He hummed again, a weak appreciation for her actions.

"Whatcha doin'?" He asked sleepily. She smirked against his skin as her hand traveled up his thigh and cupped him through his boxers.

"Nothin'," She responded. She looked up to see his eyes snap open and watch her.

"Don't feel like nothin'," He grunted. She giggled softly and continued her travels with her mouth down further. Her lips followed the patch of hair leading to his manhood. She knew she had another reason for what she was doing, but a part of her wanted this regardless of the outcome none the less.

"You seem to be fitting in well here," She murmured against his hip as she pulled his boxers down. He twitched beneath her. When he didn't respond, she moved them past his hips, freeing him of the light confides. She was pleased to see that he was hard for her.

She dipped her head lower, her body moving to a more comfortable position next to him, as she traced her tongue around his head. He moaned in appreciation.

"Beth, you ain't gotta do this." He grunted out.

"I know." She said with a smile before her mouth opened wide and she took him fully between her lips. He hissed at the sensation almost immediately and she knew she had him just where she wanted him. She continued to bob up and down on him, sucking, tasting, and hearing everything she was doing to him. It was bliss to her.

She released him from her mouth with a soft pop and looked up at him through hooded eyes.

"We should figure out how to get movin' soon." She dared.

"Can't." He pushed the words from his throat as if it hurt.

"Why?" She questioned as her tongue licked at the vein running along his shaft.

"Can't just leave em." He groaned.

"They can handle themselves." She responded before taking him fully in her mouth once again. She continued to bob up and down on him, her ears taking in every noise, every pant, every breath as she worked him over. When he began to breath harder, she let go of him once again.

Before she could get a word out, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up to his face, his lips crashing down on hers in a fiery kiss that left her needing more but pulling away at the same time. His tongue pushed past her lips roughly and fought with her own as her body began to run on autopilot. As much as she wanted to stop him and get him to submit to her desires, she wanted this just as much. She wanted to feel what she did to him, it having been over a week since they had last touched.

Her hand snaked down his body and began pumping him; his moans, breathy in her mouth. She couldn't help but be reminded of when he got her off, and heat flooded her body. Her manipulative intentions fleeing her mind.

Leaving his mouth, she kissed down towards his neck, nipping at his flushed skin and his moans became louder. His body was becoming tense with her movement, his hips arching off the bed in time with her hand. She sensed he was close to his release, as his hands turned into tense fists and he bit his lip, trying to keep quiet.

He brought his hand up and bit down on this thumb as her movements became quicker. Before she knew it, he was spilling himself over her hand and and onto their sleeping bag, his body tense and rigid beneath her own. She smiled widely as he panted for a few moment until his breathing returned to normal.

"What brought that on?" He asked.

"Just returning the favor a few weeks later." She giggled, but she quickly became serious again, her previous intentions returning to her. "Daryl, when are we gunna leave?"

"Is that what this was about?" He bit back.

"You said you'd get me back to my family but you keep stalling us. What are you afraid of?" She retorted strongly.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" He pulled his boxers back up, cleaning himself up as best as he could.

"We were supposed to be going back to Georgia, that's where WE were headed until your brother found us."

"You're pissed cause I found my brother in this fucked up world? You were the one tellin' me to find him!"

"And that's great that you found him but we need to find my family now,"

Daryl scoffed and got up off the bed. "The family you left behind. The family you ran away from cause your father turned into an alcoholic, and your brother and sister bailed on you." He paced the room in frustration. "You wanna leave this safety to go back to a family that's most likely dead!"

"You don't know that!" She cried out, getting off the bed herself, "What's gotten into you? You just need me to get ya off, then you can flip the switch and go runnin' back to your boys? Are they who matter now? Do you like lookin' tough an' bein' an asshole?!"

Daryl's face reddened, and Beth could practically see steam pouring from his ears. He ignored her questions and turned it back on her again, "If I hadn't been with you when this shit storm hit, you'd be dead yourself. Count yourself lucky you had me to take care of ya!"

"Cause of you? I didn't need your help then, I was doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Really? You were takin care of yourself? That why you almost got raped by the last guy you caught a ride with?" Beth's blood boiled and her eyes shot daggers towards him.

"What about Len? He stares at me all day and I know you've seen it, but you've done nothing! What if he tries something? Would you care?" She growled back at him.

"Ya ain't gotta worry about Len." Daryl lied. "Merle an' I'll protect you. Stop actin' like this!" He paced around the room for a moment before scooping up his jeans and heading to the door. "I can't deal with this shit right now."

He opened the door to leave and she watched wordlessly as he slammed the door behind him. She moved robotically to it, locked it behind him, and leaned her back against the doorway, sliding down slowly as their fight finally dug into her.

Tears streamed down her face as his words sank in. Should she keep believing that her family was alive or was he right? Was she chasing dead people at this point. As much as she hated being here, and she couldn't trust any of these men, they were in a safe place. She had a bed to sleep in at night, food and water, and protection from those dead things outside.

She had Daryl too but that went out the window. She felt stupid for her idea now. She just wanted answers and this seemed like the ideal plan since he didn't want to talk about it before. Maybe she took it too far. She crawled into bed, holding his shirt close and fell asleep, tears still falling down her cheeks.

Daryl made his way to Joe's apartment, where the door was always open. Merle was in there and took in his brother's appearance. His shirt wasn't buttoned all the way up, his jeans were hanging low and his boots weren't tied. He look beyond livid and tense. Daryl grabbed a bottle of Jack that was sitting off to the side and took a large swig.

"Mind if I borrow this?" he asked Joe, not really waiting for an answer. Joe nodded and watched the younger Dixon brother take another large swig.

"Be on the roof," he spoke, taking a glance at Merle and heading upstairs. Merle had never seen his brother this crazed before and decided for once in his life, he needed to be the protector.

He found Daryl, sitting on a crate, nursing the bottle like it was his last drink. At the rate he was going, he would be shit-faced in less than an hour. Merle sat beside him, grabbing a smoke and lighting it up. Daryl was always quiet and reserved, didn't like saying much ever. If he wanted to talk, he would.

"I get why you never let women get to close, fucking trouble is all they are."

"Have a little lover's quarrel with blondie tonight?"

"She's askin too many questions bout when we're leaving, and why we gotta stay here."

"You tell her we got this under control?"

"She don't get it, then she's blows up like some crazy bitch, like _I'm_ the asshole."

"Well, if she's getting on your nerves, we can just ditch her here," Merle took a drag of his smoke, and glanced over to his brother. His head was hung low, the bottle now sitting at his feet.

"Can't just leave her here. Not with these guys. No tellin' what they'd do." He paused for a moment as he contemplated his next words. "Ya know, she loves me," Daryl's words becoming more slurred as the alcohol was taking effect. "Fuckin' told me one night that she loved me. Didn't even expect me to say it back."

"Dixon's don't know how to love, brother. Ain't in our DNA." Merle spoke with truth, his own experiences guiding him in this insight. "At least you got to tap that while you could. Gonna be a lot tougher to get some tail after this."

"She's still a virgin. Twenty years old and wants to wait." he laughed hard, knocking over the bottle. He picked it back up and took another swipe.

"Always was the sweet one," Merle muttered."Go huntin' tomorrow. Let me deal with blondie." Daryl scoffed as his head lulled back.

"Good luck." Daryl mumbled. It remained silent after that, Daryl practically finishing the bottle and passing out on the rooftop. Merle wanted to keep him company to make sure he didn't kill himself by falling over the side, so he sat next to him. He found it odd that no one was on watch at that time, but it didn't mean that whoever was supposed to be wasn't listening.

* * *

Being in love makes you do crazy and stupid things...

Thanks to all the new reviews, follows and favorites. We're getting into some major drama now so stick with us as we navigate through the storm.

Thanks to Carla for adding in her two cents here and there. Much appreciated as always!

Let us know what you think is gonna happen, and what your thoughts are on Beth and Daryl.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks to everyone who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, BubbaSue, StrangersAnge, Ela1980, TWDFan05, Buffy, Guest, Guest, Scifigirl22, Lady of Sign, malzateb, kevkye, Reignashii, moriahhh, jeanf, Lettuce. , Trixieviv, KelseyNicole08, chrissyw, dixie326

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 **TRIGGER WARNING - MILD ASSAULT**

Beth woke the next morning, with a headache and puffy eyes. It hurt her to know that Daryl didn't even try and get in here last night. She was hoping that once he had time to cool off, maybe he would have come back and apologized. She just wanted answers and he was the one holding back on her. It wasn't her fault that she had to use sexual advances to get him to talk.

She wished he could be more open to her like they used to be. They were close when it was just the two of them. He had opened up to her and trusted her and now, she was nothing but a tag-along. It cut her deep to know that he was choosing an old life over the one he had with her.

She heard someone come into the apartment, and her heart skipped a beat in hopes that it was Daryl coming back. The footsteps were coming closer to her door, seeming to hesitate with each step. Finally after a long pause, a soft knock on the bedroom door.

Beth looked down at herself, noticing she was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. Her hair felt a mess and her face was probably splotchy. Figuring he wouldn't care what she looked like, she unlocked the door and swung it open. Her face dropped when she saw who it was.

"Looks like your night didn't fair any better than his," Merle spoke, leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed. Beth rolled her eyes and went back to the bed to grab her brush.

"I don't know what you want Merle, so get on with it," she spat.

"Guess you do got a little bite to you." he laughed, big and mighty. "But you best get yourself dolled up, takin' you outside to use the bathroom and then we're headin out."

Beth's face lit up when he said they were leaving. "Really, you mean it. We're gonna start making out way to Georgia?" Her voice was filled with excitement and she was practically jumping out of her seat.

"Whoa, whoa. I never said we was leavin'. Said we was headin out is all." Beth's face dropped with disappointment.

"Where we going?"

"Joe asked me to go and scavenge a few more of the houses around here, takin you with me."

"Where's Daryl then?" She didn't want to speak his name, but she needed to know if she should prepare herself for seeing him.

"Left early this morning into the woods. Probably be out there all day."

"So why am I going with you then? Kinda sounds like you just wanna leave me out there to fend for myself."

"Look blondie, I'm not gonna involve myself in your little lover's quarrel but I'll tell you this. He don't want to see you dead. So I'm bringin' you along cause I think you need to learn more the way of life now. Daryl might have taught you a few things, but you could use all the help you can get now."

"So you don't think I'm strong enough either."

"You on your rag or some shit girl? I didn't say that. How bout instead of bitin' my head off, you be grateful that we aren't just leavin you to your own devices."

Beth shut her mouth after his comment. Maybe she was being defensive when she should be happy they are showing her ropes. God knows no one else had been this kind to her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked to Merle and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"That would be ever so kind of you, thank you," she spoke with sarcasm. He smirked.

"Might work on that attitude of yours first, seein' as ya don't know shit," he walked away from her room with a laugh. "We leave in ten."

Beth closed the door so she could change her clothes and brush her hair. Maybe she did need to change her attitude and accept the situation for what it was. And maybe with Merle showing her some new things, she could show Daryl that she is worthy as his partner and that she can take care of herself.

Beth followed closely behind Merle as he walked away from the apartment building. Her mind was racing with his words. A part of her knew he was right, that she was acting childish and she really didn't know anything about surviving on her own. She depended on everything they did. And with Len giving her an uneasy feeling every time she was around him, she wanted to learn as much as she could to protect herself.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a store another block away." He responded without looking back.

"Thought you said you cleared the town a while ago?" Beth countered.

"Never said I was an honest man, doll face." The unease grew again, even though she knew Merle would never hurt her for fear of his brother's wrath, but it didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

"Why the store then?" She whispered, fearing the answer.

"Mike locked one of em up in the back. Probably weak enough by now." He stopped walking and turned to her. "You're gunna kill it."

"I can kill them." She shot back, her arms dropped to her side.

"If'n I remember correctly, blondie, ya almost got yourself bit tryin'." Beth glared at his smirk and followed back behind him as he continued to walk forward.

They arrived at the store front, the glass was dingy and covered in dried blood and dirt, and Beth shivered in fear. She knew she could kill it, but she didn't really understand why she had to.

"What's this about?" Beth asked curiously.

"Told ya, I ain't gettin' in the middle of this little lover's quarrel, but I ain't gunna see my brother get killed protectin' ya when ya need to learn how to adapt to this new world." He gave her a once over before speaking again. "Ya ready to do this, blondie, or we just walkin' around for our health?"

"My name is Beth." She spat at him and pushed open the door. He could hear him laugh as he followed in behind her. She stopped and took in the disarray of the store. Some of the shelves were knocked over and trash was piled everywhere.

"Back there, _Beth._ " He over emphasized her name to spite her. She could feel her annoyance and adrenaline grow. She squared her shoulders and moved to the closed door in the back where she could faintly hear a muted pounding coming from within. She pulled her knife out once it approached the door and reached out for the handle. "Woah there, little lady." Merle walked up behind her and put his hand on the door.

"I thought you wanted me to kill it?"

"Gotta tell ya what to do so ya don't get bit. Don't wanna explain to little brother that his lady got gnawed on by a walker cause a me." Beth threw her head back in frustration and released the handle.

"Fine."

"Gotta keep a distance from its mouth. Keep it distracted with the hand your knife is in and grab it by the shoulder, keepin' it away from ya. Then, stab it."

"How'd you learn all this?" Beth wondered aloud.

"Survival, little lady. Ol' man made sure me and Daryl knew how to hunt before we could read. Once these fuckers," he kicked the door to emphasize his point, "started takin' over, ya learn to adapt."

Having a new found appreciation for Mr. Dixon for actually doing something useful for his sons, Beth took Merle's advice and went in for the kill. She held the door handle tight, getting ready to swing it open. Pulling it, she stepped back to let the monster come out of the back room, it's mouth snarling and snapping, looking for it's next meal.

She blocked every thought from her mind, as she let it come closer towards her. Merle's advice, ringing in her ears to distract it. Her knife was waving beside her own head, while her other hand was getting ready to grab the walker. As it lunged for her wrist, holding down it's shoulder, her blade pierced it's skull and killed it. Watching the body drop the floor left Beth with a sense of pride. She beamed and turned around to face Merle. He simply pursed his lips, and shook his head slowly.

"You move too slow girl, you're overthinkin' it. You just gotta go with your instincts and move fast."

"Guess you better get me another one then," she smirked.

"When you're ready." He mused to himself. Beth sighed in defeat, seemingly never doing anything right for the Dixon brothers, and sheathed her knife back at her side. Just as she snapped the leather strap back in place, her body was being pressed up against the wall by Merle, her arms over her head leaving her defenseless to his attacks.

"What the hell are you doing?" She screamed against him, her hips bucking to push him off of her. Rather than respond, he thrusted his own hips against hers to pin her against him. Fear overtook her as she remembered the last time she was in a situation like this. Her breathing came in full on gasps as she waited for what this man could possibly do to her. "Merle!" She screamed, trying to wiggle free from his grasp. She looked up to see his eyes hard and stone like, he was detached.

"Get loose." He commanded.

"I can't!" she shouted back at him. He tightened his grip on her hands with one hand, freeing his other to do whatever he wanted. He held his free hand up, close to the left side of her body. Hovering but never touching. Beth was confused by what was happening. She could feel his legs on either side of hers and she did the only thing she could think to do; she brought her knee up and connected right with his groin, sending him back and doubled over in pain.

He groaned for a few minutes before laughing, his hands still cupping is sore crotch.

"Good."

"Good?" Beth shout back, her voice high and panicked. "What the hell?"

"Ain't just walkers ya gotta worry about, girl. Pretty little thing like you, you'll be prey to more than just them dead sons of bitches."

"We couldn't have worked on some simple punches or something first? You just felt the need to scare the crap out of me?!"

"I was right, you two were living in a fantasy world together. What just happened is gonna be your life from now on. And we ain't always gonna be there to protect you, you got that, princess? You need to know how to get your hands dirty, possibly even kill if need be."

"I'm getting better at killing walkers, I don't-" Beth tried to defend herself before Merle cut her off.

"It ain't walkers I'm talking about." Beth froze from his insinuation.

"You want me to kill people? Are you nuts?"

"Walkers are the easier threat. They have one goal in mind. It's people you need to worry bout. They're the ones who get desperate and will do anything to survive. Or get a taste of that sweetness you're hiding between them legs."

As disgusted as Beth was by his comment, she knew he was right. The way that Len looked at her, along with some of the other men in the group, made her skin crawl. If given the opportunity, they would probably take her and make her beg for death. She needed to learn survival instincts from both of them, and this was the best time as any. Setting aside any pride she had in herself, she stood tall, and looked Merle straight in the eye.

"Fine, show me." Beth relented, her determination growing by the second.

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Short chapter but very important stuff going on. Merle has taken it upon himself to train Beth now, but does he have an ulterior motive for this or did he grow a heart for the young blonde.

Thank you for all the reviews, follows and faves. We truly appreciate all of it and adore each and every one.

Thanks to Carla for helping us out!

You guys seem to have some great ideas on what is going to happen with Beth and Daryl. Someone was pretty on the money so good job. Guess you'll find out soon enough if it was you.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for the reviews:** **DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, TWDFan05, nikole salvatore, Guest, MaidenAlice, dixie326, Ela1980, Ayame2004, moriahhh, Reignashii, Guest, malzateb, KelseyNicole08, jeanf, Trixieviv, kevkye, MK15, Guest, soniabell (x2)**

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 **TRIGGER WARNING: Assault scene**

Beth and Merle spent most of their days 'training'. He taught her how to fend off, not only walkers, but any other threat that may come her way. At night, when she hoped to curl into bed next to Daryl, she was unfortunately alone. He seemed, much to her distaste, to be sleeping out on the couch and she didn't have the energy, after being out with Merle, to beg him to come back to her.

Their distance didn't go unnoticed to the other occupants of the apartment building. Len seemed to be watching her more when the brothers weren't around. Her skin crawled every single time she caught him looking at her, and even more so when he didn't divert his eyes when he was caught staring at her.

Several weeks had passed since she and Daryl had had their fight and his absence was weighing heavily on her. She pretended that it didn't matter, but Merle chastised her everytime he caught her off guard during her training. He would tell her that Daryl didn't want her anymore, only to fuel her anger and spur her on. She wouldn't admit to him that his words hurt her because she began to believe them. She still heard them whispering late at night and she couldn't help but feel put out by being left alone in their room.

When they did speak, it was never about moving on, but more about what game he was going to hunt while he was out. To him, she assumed the housewife role. She wondered everyday if Merle was telling Daryl about what they were doing when he was off in the woods, but she never had the courage to bring him up when she was out with Merle.

It was on this particular day, when Beth assumed she would be out in the woods with Merle, learning to fight, that he came to her and said that he would be hunting with Daryl. He informed her that he had convinced Daryl that she would be safe here and that he needed him to keep his head in the game. She nodded, keeping her fierce demeanor about her, but inside she was terrified. No one would be there to watch over her. But a part of her assumed that Merle and Daryl allowed it, only because they felt she would be safe.

She kept to the apartment while they were gone, busying herself with cleaning and cooking what little rations they were given that day. Their hunts and scavenges were coming up scarce and food was running thin. She was working on cleaning the clutter in the living room when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly looked out the window to assume that it was just past four in the afternoon, the boys wouldn't be back for a while, and wondered who could be coming for her.

She slowly made her way to the door, chills creeping across her skin, as she reached for the door and pulled it open.

"Just wanted to make sure you were ok." She sighed a breathe of relief when she saw Joe on the other side of that door.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just waiting on them to get back." She smiled warmly at him, her manners not failing her. "Would you like to come in?"

"Can't. You know what they say about an outdoor cat. I am heading out with a few guys to look for more water. Len is on guard right now." Joe explained and the cold feeling that she had just shook off returned in full force.

"Did they know you guys were leaving?" She whispered, her arms once again wrapped tightly around her body.

"Just realized the supply was running low." Beth nodded, her answer being given to her in that short response. "Don't you fret none, little lady." Joe smiled as he gave her a wink and walked off.

Maybe she didn't have so much to worry about since it was only Len sticking around here while everyone else was gone. She was safe indoors, no walkers would get to her here and Len was keeping guard on the roof so he wouldn't pose a threat. She decided to busy herself by looking over the bags she had packed, for if and when they ever decided to leave. She mentally took note of all the items in each of the three; food for a few days in each, canteens for water which Merle had mentioned there were plenty of streams out in the woods with fresh, running water, and several changes of clothes. She made sure the necessities were packed back on top and within easy reach. She checked to make sure each had a knife strapped to the side for easy access as well.

Once she was sure of the contents of the bags, she walked back into the living room and noticed how much the sun had moved across the sky. She'd been in there for several hours and not a sound was heard the entire time. She assumed the others were still getting water from the streams and Len was still on the roof. She hoped the guys would be back soon.

Deciding there was nothing else for her to do, she went back to her room to continue reading from the book she had found. She laid on her stomach, and got the page she had dog eared to continue reading. It wasn't that great of a book but it was something; Random stories about hauntings in small towns. It wasn't her first choice, but compared to the reading material that Merle owned, this was something to pass the time.

She became engrossed about a sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky, not far away from the first place her and Daryl had ended up in, which was supposedly one of the most haunted places in the world. There were pictures of Waverly Hills in its 00hay day, when thousands of people sought treatment for tuberculosis. Medicine being what it was back in the 30's and 40's, they estimated that there was a death in the hospital every hour. She began reading on about nurses who committed suicide, body tunnels constructed to take the dead out, and the stories people would tell of little boys playing with balls and pregnant women getting very sick in certain rooms.

She assumed, because Kentucky held a small place in her heart, that that was why she was so engrossed in the telling and chilling stories surrounding the abandoned hospital. She began wondering if the world ever righted itself again, if she would be able to see the massive structure herself.

She heard the door to the apartment open and thought nothing of it. Probably just the boys coming back from their hunt. She heard the clunk of boots but was so involved in her book, didn't figure out whose they were. She felt someone come into room and her senses were piqued. Before she could turn over to see who it was, she felt a body come down onto hers, pinning her to the bed. She tried to scream but it's hand came down to cover it.

"I knew that if I waited till the right time, that I would finally get you all to myself." Beth didn't have to look to know that voice. Len had come in and was now holding her down, her arms unable to move from beneath her. Her voice was muffled, and her legs couldn't hit anything to help her. She only prayed that someone came back and checked on her.

"Been watching you and that ol' man of yours. Was watchin' to see if you two were really together. You might have fooled ole' Joe but you can't fool me. You two ain't nuthin. Ain't even sleepin in the same room no more. What happened sweetheart, wasn't enough for ya?" He got real close to her, smelling her hair and nuzzling his face into her neck. It was the same way that Daryl used to do that, except now, it felt disgusting and unwanted.

"Or maybe, he just wasn't man enough to take ya." His hand fumbled along her side, grasping at the shirt, pulling it up to expose the skin. "If I had a girl like you, I'd take you any chance I wanted." His hand brushed the side of her breast, covered by her dainty bra. "I'd make it so I pounded you so hard, you couldn't walk straight."

Beth tried to scream and jostle out of his hold, but it only made him power over her more. "I love it when they fight, makes it so much better when I tame them." he began licking the side of her neck, pushing her to roll over so he could reach her mouth.

Before he could get a grip on her arms, she threw the hardest punch she could but wasn't expecting him to react so suddenly. He pulled his face away so she got him in the chin, rather than the nose. He was momentarily stunned by her fight, so she was able to push him away from her, to try and get her legs underneath him to push him off. His anger rose and he tried to grab her legs to stop them from kicking. She got a few more slaps in but he gained the upperhand again.

He sat on her stomach, hard, pushing the breath out of her lungs. He grabbed her hands and pinned them down to her body. His face read pure anger and frustration, his eyebrows furrowed deep and his mouth in a deep scowl. Before she knew what was happening, his right hand released its grip on her left wrist and drew it back. The slap to her face stung as she felt her cheek begin to swell almost instantly. The impact had her head facing left, away from the door, and her ears pounding from the pain in her head.

She didn't want to move or look back up at the man over her. She knew she wouldn't be strong enough. Everything Merle had taught her was useless in this situation. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she awaited her fate.

Suddenly, the sound of skin connecting with skin hit her ears again and she wondered why she felt no pain this time. When the weight on her stomach vanished, she knew it wasn't her that had been hit. She could hear Daryl screaming at Len, Merle spitting his own words of disgust, while Len begged for them to stop. Beth sat up in a daze to see the brothers kicking and punching him over and over.

"Daryl." Her voice sounded dazed but loud in her pounding head. She was quickly reminded of how it felt to talk when she was hungover. He didn't register her voice as he kept kicking at Len mercilessly. "Daryl!" She tried again, the force of her words causing both of the Dixon brothers to stop. They looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Not here." was all she could muster as she stood and reached for the three bags along the wall near the door. "Joe and the others will be back soon." Beth shouldered one bag and tossed the other two on the bed. They nodded and shouldered their own packs and heaved the limp body off the ground.

"Told ya' girl." Merle growled as they walked past her, dragging Len in between them. He seemed to be in and out of consciousness as he would groan and whimper for his life for a moment and remain silent again.

"I know." She muttered, "I'll kill him." Her voice was laced with so much anger and venom, that Daryl's steps faltered as he looked back at her.

"I'm missin' somethin' and I expect to be caught up as soon as he's dealt with. And no, ya ain't killin' him, Beth." She ignored Daryl and followed behind the guys. Their hands were full with the weight they were carrying, so Beth pulled her gun out of the front pocket of the bag and clicked off the safety, ready to protect them should she need to.

They walked for about twenty minutes, probably half a mile from the building, until they stopped at a car sitting on the side of the road. Merle and Daryl tossed Len to the ground and unlocked the car. Beth watched curiously as they seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Apparently, she wasn't the only one with some explaining to do.

"Come on, dollface. Put the bags in the car. Lover boy and I'll deal with this fucker." Merle tossed his bag closer to her and stomped on Len's leg for emphasis. Len screamed loudly as the femur fractured under the pressure. Daryl kicked him in the face and his screams turned into muffled groans. Beth could only assume Daryl broke his jaw.

Beth followed Merle's orders and put the three bags in the back but began to follow them as they drug him further out in the woods. They knew she was there but said nothing. Daryl knew, she needed to see this. For now and for before. She needed to see the man suffer.

They propped him up against a tree and Daryl got down to Len's level.

"Mike shoulda killed ya back when you did this to the last girl." Daryl sneered. "But lucky for you, he's weak. Ya messed with my girl, and I ain't weak." Len shook his head back and forth, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Girl is family, asshole." Merle taunted as he paced back and forth before them. Daryl aimed his crossbow directly at Len's head.

"And nobody fucks with my family," Daryl spoke as he pulled the trigger. They watched the bolt fly directly between the eyes and burrow in the tree behind him. He pulled it out, taking away any evidence that it was him and put it back on his bow.

Beth stood still, emotionless as she had just witnessed Len's death. It didn't frighten her to see such an act committed but rather the fact that she was happy it was done. She saw them turn back and look at her. Merle made his way back to the car, while Daryl paused in front of Beth.

"We gotta go Beth," he spoke gravely, his voice deep and calm. "We gotta go."

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All I can say is WHOA! Did that just happen? We all knew Len was a monster and this just proved it. I know some people were worried about Beth becoming the victim (cause that does happen a lot) and I can guarantee you, that her training will come in handy eventually.

Would love to hear your thoughts on what happened and what is to come. It seems our trio each have some explaining to do.

We have almost reached 300 reviews and appreciate all the love you guys send us. Thank you to Carla for always lending a hand with the proofreading and ideas.


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: brady66, 23, BubbaSue, DarylDixon'sLover, nikole salvatore, Buffygurl077, kevkye, Coffeeandsippycups, monkeyfunky, TWDFan05, rckyfrk, castlefan83, moriahhh, Reignashii, Guest, Lettuce. , Guest, Ela1980, Ayame2004, jamielynn25, KelseyNicole08, alliesmiley2, Trixieviv

We hit over 300 reviews and we are so excited for that! THANK YOU!

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They rode in silence for a good thirty minutes. Neither of them wanted to talk about what they had just done or what had happened. Beth kept replaying the sight of Daryl's bolt entering Len's head and the words he spoke to him just before. She was shaken, not by what happened, but by how comfortable she was with watching a living person die. Len was the worst kind of human being, but before this she had never been one to advocate the death penalty. She believed that all men deserved a second chance.

But now Merle's words rang through her mind, this was a new world. And everyone had to adapt.

"Ya didn't do a thing I taught ya." Merle broke the silence, catching Beth's attention.

"Well next time we train, I'll make sure you attack me while I'm laying in bed!" Beth sassed back.

"Someone wanna fill me in here?" Daryl shouted, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Nothin' you need to concern yourself with little brother. Blondie and I just been workin' on her survival instincts." Merle said with a chuckle.

"You've been trainin' her behind my back?"

"What does it matter? So he's been training me? It's not like you've given a damn the past few weeks!" Beth shouted back.

"I was protectin' you. That was the plan!"

"Oh the plan huh? The same plan you two never shared with me?"

"You didn't need to be involved. We had it handled." Suddenly something clicked in Beth. She remembered what Daryl had said to Len, right before he killed him.

"What did you mean, Mike should have killed him before?" Merle and Beth both stared at Daryl, waiting for him to respond, but he just bit his thumb and continued driving. "You say I didn't need to be involved but you left me there with someone who's raped before!" She couldn't stop her voice from rising an octave.

"Mike mentioned it right after we got there. Said to keep a close eye on you." Daryl finally admitted.

"And you never told me? Is that why you," she said pointing to Merle from the back seat, "felt the need to constantly pin me against a wall and make me fight you off, to prepare me for Len?"

"What the fuck, Merle?!" Daryl yelled.

"I didn't know he'd done that before. I woulda killed him long before y'all got there if I had. Ya know how I feel about that shit." Merle spoke only to Daryl.

"So your response was to act like you were attackin' her to train her? Is that how ya get over what happened to her?" Beth was getting confused. She had no idea where this was coming from, they seemed to be talking about something else entirely.

"Not sayin' that's the only reason, but I didn't want to see what happened to her, happen to Blondie back there." Merle responded.

"Goddamnit, Merle if you call me blondie again, I'm going to cut your balls off. For the last time, it's Beth! And what the hell are you two talking about, anyway?" Merle laughed loudly and Beth could see Daryl's eyes relax at her outburst in the rearview mirror.

"Don't worry bout it," Daryl grunted, Merle still laughing beside him.

"No, you two keeping secrets from me led us to this point and if I'm apparently family to you two, then start treating me like it!" she yelled. She was tired at this point of all the bickering and she just wanted everyone to be on the same page for once. Daryl just grumbled and bit his thumb while Merle had finally got his breathing back under control.

"K, I'll tell ya what the plan was, but you best let me speak and calm yourself down before you start talkin again," Merle offered, turning himself into his seat to look over at her. She nodded and took a deep breath to relax.

Merle spoke about the detailed plan that he had come up with. They needed to gain the trust of Joe and his group so Daryl offered to do the hunting and scavenging. He hung around them more and got into Joe's good graces which allowed him to join them on runs and prove himself to be a worthy member of the group.

Merle was to keep an eye out on Beth, but he chose to take it a step further by teaching her survival and defense skills. He never told Daryl because he was against taking Beth out of the apartment unless she needed to be. When Daryl was allowed to go on runs himself, he started picking up supplies and storing them in a house nearby. He brought back things for the group, but left the more important stuff for them.

Every night, Merle and he would go over maps and figure out the best possible route out of there. They eventually found a car and were loading it up with gas tanks and their supplies. They were planning on leaving in the next few days but because of what happened with Len that afternoon, they had no choice but to leave right after.

Once Beth was able to process all this, she understood most of their secrecy. They needed to keep things on the downlow from the rest of them but she was still unsure of why they kept it from her.

"Needed to create some distance between you two, thought it best to treat you like a piece of tail, rather than someone important. If you knew, you might not have acted the part of someone pining away." Merle answered her question.

"OK, I get most of it. But why downplay me? Daryl, if you knew what Len was capable of, why make them think I'm nothing to you? He said he knew we weren't anything when he attacked me."

"I didn't plan for you to ever be alone with Len. Merle and I went out today to move stuff from the house to the car, not to hunt. We didn't plan for Joe and the others to leave. It was easier to talk about ya like ya meant nothing more to me than a quick roll in the sheets with the guys." Beth shuddered at the thought of him talking about her so vulgarly in front of the others.

"It's a wonder they weren't lined up to rape me." Beth huffed.

"Joe and his guys might be rough people, but they ain't like that." Beth chuckled and touched her cheek. "Well, not all of em. They knew ya belonged to Daryl and don't nobody touch another man's property." Merle explained.

It started to click with Beth. It reminded her of conversations she could remember her older brother having with his friends about girls in school. She knew her older brother was lying when he told them he was sleeping with girls in the barn every other night right under their father's nose, but she never really understood why he did it until now.

"So, where are we going?" Beth asked as she slumped back against the seat.

"As close to the farm as this rusty old car will get us." Daryl answered, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror and she couldn't help but beam at his response.

"I ain't callin' ya Beth." Merle snickered, breaking the moment between the two. Beth rolled her eyes and kicked the back of his seat. "I got plenty of other names stored away, sugar tits, and Beth ain't one of them."

"I prefer Blondie, now. Thanks." They chuckled slightly, the tension in the car completely gone, as they drove closer to her home.

They drove for another few hours, the sun long since setting in the horizon, before they decided it was best to stop for the night. Merle directed them to a house he had stayed at when he and Joe were trying to make their way to Mike's apartment building.

It was an older home, two stories, on a small bit of land off the beaten path. He assured them it would be safe for the night unless other squatters had taken up residence there. The three of them climbed out of the car once Daryl shut off the engine. Beth was pleasantly surprised that they didn't make her wait there.

Daryl pulled his crossbow out and hoisted it up in his arms as Merle pulled out a large hunting knife. He looked back at Beth, and in the moonlight she could see him nod to the gun on her hip. She pulled it out and clicked off the safety.

They walked up the stairs on the porch quietly and Beth was reminded of all those times she and Daryl cleared those trailers. She was on one side of the door, ready to open it for Daryl, and Merle stood back, seemingly uncaring that they could be walking into their death. Daryl pulled up his bow and nodded to her to open the door. She nodded and twisted the knob and pushed the door open. He stepped in and did a quick sweep of the entry way and waved for her to follow. Merle yawned as he crossed the threshold and Beth rolled her eyes at him.

"Ain't no one here, little brother." Merle commented rather loudly. Daryl turned and shot him a look. He held up his hands and wandered off through the house as if he were right at home. Beth decided to stay with Daryl as they made sure there was no one else there. They found every room empty but the living room, where Merle was kicked back with his shoes off and tending to his bruised fists. Beth was surprised to see that he had already managed to light a fire in the old fireplace against the far wall.

"S'all clear." Daryl grunted. Merle shot him a look that said 'told ya' and went back to wrapping his left hand in a tattered cloth.

"Take the larger room to the left up there. I'm gunna sleep down here. Don't really wanna listen to my little brother get his dick wet tonight." Beth clicked the safety back on on the gun and pointed at the older Dixon.

"Watch it, Merle," she scolded.

"Yes, blondie," he shot back.

"I'm gunna go get our shit outta the car. Try not to kill him, Beth." Daryl snickered as he walked past and placed a hand tenderly on her shoulder. She felt chills run through her body she hadn't felt in weeks. She realized how badly she had missed him when he had shut her out.

While he went to the car, Beth made her way upstairs to check out the room more thoroughly. The house had already been ransacked by people but maybe they overlooked some essentials. She assumed Merle had meant the master bedroom, and was actually impressed by its grandeur. It was probably renovated more recently by the state of the furniture and linens.

Apart from the bed, there was a chest of drawers on one wall, and a makeup vanity on another. She checked the drawers for anything they could use but only came across some random pieces of clothing that weren't taken from the owners and a book of matches. She pocketed the matches and moved over to the vanity.

Makeup was strewn all over the wood surface, nothing very important, but she did take the tweezers, as they could be used medically she thought. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and sat down on the chair in shock. Her face was red and looking like it was starting to bruise from where Len had hit her. She touched her cheek delicately, feeling pain almost instantly.

She heard the door close to the bedroom, her head whipping around to see Daryl holding their two packs in his hands. He put them on the floor and slowly walked over to her, not sure how welcome he was going to be at this point. Beth turned back towards the mirror, really unsure of what to say to him right now.

He sat on the bed, directly behind her. She saw him staring intently at her through the mirror.

"Can I see it?" he asked quietly, moving a little closer to her. She sighed and turned around slowly, their knees almost touching as she looked at him. His eyes took in her appearance and softened, guilt soon taking over him. His hand came up under her chin, getting her to move her face so he could get a better look. She felt herself lean into his touch, missing that closeness they once had.

His eyes moved over the bruise, taking it in to see if any damage was done. "Shouldn't bruise too badly, probably go away in a couple days" he spoke softly.

"Battle scars, right," she smiled, trying to lighten the mood. His hand dropping from her, his face fell in defeat. She looked to him, trying to get a read on what was going through his mind.

"I'm sorry Beth," he said, breaking the silence. "I never would have left if I knew…" Beth nodded, trying to maintain her composure that was beginning to crumple. Without the distractions, and seeing the evidence of what she had been through, she could feel her resolve start to crumble.

The tears started falling from her eyes before she could stop them. Daryl seeing her hurt like this, immediately fell forward and wrapped her in his arms. She grabbed his shirt, clutching to it like a child to their favorite blanket. He picked her up effortlessly and brought her to the bed, holding her close as she sobbed into his chest.

As her tears dried, and she finally drifted off to sleep, Daryl continued to stay awake. His thoughts immediately berating himself for being so careless and stupid. He had two people left in this world, and he could have lost one of them today. It was at that moment that he resolved to never let anything stand between them again and he was never going to give anyone the opportunity to take away what was his.

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Well, I certainly hope that cleared things up for everyone. They all did what they thought they had to do to get out of there. Now we are going to deal with the aftermath.

Thanks to Carla for helping us out. We both appreciate you so much!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this story. It's going to be full of rollercoaster twists and turns. We get our happy moments, and then some sad moments, so stick with us.


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter - brady66, DarylDixon'sLover, Reignashii, TWDFan05, Str1der2015, BubbaSue, Ela1980, malzateb, jamielynn25, missy7293, Lola (x10), kevkye, Ayame2004, Trixieviv, jeanf (x2)

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Beth woke the next morning, her eyes swollen and sore, to the sounds of the Dixon brothers swearing outside. She sat up in bed and tenderly touched her face, every part of it hurting terribly. She didn't dare glance in the mirror for fear of what she might find there.

She made her way to the door and walked down the stairs. When she was out of the open front door, she realized what the problem was. The hood was open and both men stood over it with heads hung low.

The car was dead.

"What's wrong with it?" Beth asked, drawing both their attention to her. Merle's reaction to her face didn't go unnoticed.

"Nice shiner." Merle commented. Daryl elbowed him in the ribs and moved away from the car to Beth. She was surprised when he tenderly caressed her face. It felt so intimate and real that she wondered if she were dreaming.

"Starter is shot. We have to walk from here but we gotta figure out a plan before we just take off. Gotta stay another day." Daryl waited for a protest from her but she just took a deep breath and nodded strongly.

"Tell me what you need me to do." She said confidently. Daryl smirked at her.

"See what you can do about loading up what's in the trunk into our packs. Merle and I'll plan the way outta here." Beth moved to the trunk of the car and popped it open, surprised to see how much the guys had hidden away in there.

The trunk was full of canned goods, knives of varying sizes, and medical supplies. Beth began to organize what she wanted to pack by priority. She figured she would need to remove their extra change of clothes from the packs to make room for what they really needed. She also needed to make sure that each pack had a little bit of everything, in the slim chance that any of them got separated. It brought Beth back to those early days when this all happened. Packing the bags for her and Daryl, making sure they were careful and safe.

It felt like years ago that the dead started to rise but in reality, it was mere months. On top of that, it had been several months since she left home and she hated to admit it, but she was feeling homesick. They were back in Georgia, they were a couple days walk from her family home, and hopefully, she would get some answers.

The part of her that hurt the most was what going to happen once the Dixons got her back. Would he leave her behind to her father and sister? Would they stay on the farm with her family, or had her father and sister not returned, would they stay at the farm as their new home. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and she was hoping to figure out the answers before they got there.

It didn't take long for her to get the packs all settled up, and put at the front door for their trip. It was gonna be nice to have that third person, so that the night watches wouldn't be as long. The boys had scoured the maps, Merle knowing pretty close to where they were. It would probably take about three days walk as long as they didn't run into trouble. It seemed they should count themselves lucky to have not crossed any walkers for the past day. Even driving along the back roads, it seemed like it was just a quiet Sunday drive. But they all knew better than that now. It was only a matter of time before trouble would head their way again.

They had spent the rest of the day going over their plan to head along the back roads and through the woods to Macon and back to the farm. She had decided, as the sun began to sink lower in the sky, to make them some dinner. She pulled out the camp stove she had found in the truck, the stove in the house running surprisingly on electricity, and warmed up a few cans of beans and some corn. She scooped them out onto plates she found in the kitchen and headed back to the living room where their hushed conversation all but stopped at her appearance.

"Don't tell me we're still doing this?" she joked.

"Course not. Just haven't smelt something that amazing in a while." Merle commented. Daryl shook his head and looked down at the floor. Beth could tell something was up as Joe often had freshly cooked meat that smelled a lot better than beans and corn. She decided to ignore it as she handed the guys their plates.

They ate in an awkward silence, Merle groaning every few minutes as if to keep up the charade. Beth pushed the kernels around on her plate for a few moments when Merle got up and moved closer to the cabinets near the fireplace. He pulled out a bottle of a dark liquid and pulled the top off.

"After the day we've had, bottoms up." He snickered as he took a long pull from the fancy crystal bottle. He held out the bottle to both Beth and Daryl, both shaking their heads no. Beth could still remember her first hangover and she didn't want to feel like that on the road with walkers ready to gnaw on her at any moment.

Merle shrugged his shoulders and took another large drink from the bottle. Beth and Daryl sat quietly eating their meals while Merle quickly became drunk. Beth could see him start to sway and she wondered just how long he would be awake. Once her plate was empty she sat it down on the table in front of her and looked to Daryl.

"So you want to tell me what the whispering was really about?" she decided it was now or never. Daryl sighed deeply and looked at her, his own plate resting down on the table across from her.

"Merle and I were talkin' about how we can keep ya from getting caught up in another mess like what happened with Len again. Think it's best if from now on, I call ya my wife." Daryl muttered quickly and looked back down at the ground, his hands clamped together nervously. Beth thought about his words for a moment, shock taking her over.

"Is this your way of trying to protect me? Because I think I can-" Daryl looked up quickly and interjected before she could finish.

"You were the one that said we should hurry up and fall in love already." Beth's eyes widened at his admission. She tried to catch up with the fact that he had just admitted that he loved her, but before she could completely process his declaration, Merle hollered loudly, his laughter echoing off the walls. Beth shot him a glare as he stood up, still laughing and walked to the fireplace.

"Who would have thought the day would come that a Dixon would fall in love!" Beth was mortified to hear his zipper drop as he urinated into the fireplace, the embers sizzling.

"I think we should let him finish this night on his own." Beth whispered to Daryl who quickly nodded in agreeance.

They made their way up the stairs, Beth finally letting a small giggle escape. Something that should have been heartfelt and beautiful was ruined by the drunk guy pissing in the house. She had learned to accept Merle for who he was, but even he surprised her every once and awhile.

Once they were inside the bedroom, and he closed the door behind her, the humor was gone and the weight of his words fell heavily on her. She turned towards him, seeing him shy away at the door, both unsure of what happened next. Biting her lip, she wanted to make sure of a few things before she made up her mind.

"Did you mean what you said?" She was hesitant and unsure of herself. Her usual confidence towards him gone.

"I didn't know till I saw Len and you on the bed. Couldn't let somethin' like that happen again," he mumbled as he chewed nervously on his thumb. She took a few steps closer, almost pressing herself up against him. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting finally.

"Right before you killed Len, you called me your girl," she took a deep breath to find the courage she needed to ask this question, "Did you mean it?" His eyes shifted from hers for a moment then locked onto hers, a ferocity behind them she had never seen before.

"Yes." The conviction in that single word sent her head spiraling out of control as she rushed to keep up. Pulling herself up by his vest, her mouth crashed hard into his, wanting to evoke every emotion she was feeling into this kiss. He returned it with the same fervor, as it felt like a lifetime since he had kissed her last.

When she began to push his vest off his shoulders and started unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled away, confused.

"Beth, we don't have to-" She quieted him with soft kiss.

"I'm yours now, right?" she whispered. He nodded back slowly. "Then make me yours."

He was still hesitant, after what had happened the night before, he didn't think it would be the best idea for them to be getting so close to one another. Beth could sense this, and continued to unbutton his shirt.

"I don't want any other man to take what's yours. If you wanna call me your wife, then I should be in every sense of the word then." That confidence that was missing before had come back. Looking into her eyes, he saw the raw desire and love that she held for him. And they didn't know what the future held for them past this night. He didn't want to waste another second without her bound to him in every way possible.

By the time he shrugged off his vest and shirt, she was already pulling off hers. He resumed their kisses, hoping to make their first time slow and sensual like she deserved but it seemed like she had other ideas in her mind. Her kisses became urgent; silently begging for more but he could still sense that innocence in her and decided he needed to stay in charge for both their sake.

He wrapped his arms around her torso, pulling her close and up so he could navigate them towards the bed. He wanted to keep her at ease with what they were about to do, keeping their pace slow. He kissed her gently where Len had struck her, hoping to replace those memories with the ones they were creating now.

It was so unlike him to want to take things slow with a woman. He was used to fast fucks in an alley or in the backseat of a car. But they were faceless women who mattered nothing to him; they weren't Beth. She deserved something better than a hard and fast fuck in a random house. But he had to make do with what they were dealt with and he was going to make this enjoyable for her.

She seemed eager to get their clothes off, pawing at his belt and jeans but he just placed his hands over hers and stopped her movements.

"Beth, let me do this. Let me take care of you, please." She sighed in contentment, feeling just how much he loved her and how much he wanted to make things up to her for the past few weeks. She did feel abandoned and that she meant nothing to him. But with the way his fingers, skimmed over her body, and the way his kisses left behind a trail of shivers, she knew that he wanted her and that would never change.

She gave up all control to him, letting him pull off her remaining clothes, kissing along the newly exposed skin. She wanted to make him feel good too, so she held him close, running her own hands over his body. She felt the raised marks on his back, knowing the story behind them but he didn't seem to care about her touching them, so she continued.

His mouth moved down from her mouth, to her collar, nipping at the skin, causing her to moan. He resumed his journey, wanting to give attention to each of her breasts. Rolling the nipple of one between his fingers, while his mouth sucked gently on the other.

She went to his belt again, pulling it loose, and opening his jeans. She pushed them down, leaving his boxers. They moved onto the bed, him hovering over her to cover her nude body.

It wasn't long before he was ready to push into her. He retrieved a condom from their backpacks, smirking that Beth had still kept these packed after all this time, and discarded his boxers. He came back up the bed, kissing from her feet to her knees. Once he was eye level with her centre, he drew one finger down her slit, testing how ready she was for him. He wanted to relax her some more before he proceeded so he swiped his tongue along the same path as his finger, earning him a hitch in her breath and low moan. He continued for a few minutes, adding a finger into her to get her ready for his awaiting length.

Her breathing was ragged and her body was arching off the bed from the pleasure she was receiving. He felt it was the right time, as she was on edge and would hopefully help her get through this next part. He had never been with a virgin before but figured that if she was lubed up enough and he was quick about it, maybe it wouldn't be too painful for her.

He ripped the condom open with his teeth, rolling it on. He looked to Beth who laid back on the pillows, with a blissful look on her face. Giving her one last kiss, he aligned his body and his hard cock to her cunt. He pushed slowly into her, watching her face for any discomfort. He could see her bite her lip and her eyebrows scrunch as he moved forward. She was tight and warm and he wanted nothing but to set a punishing pace into her but she needed this to be right.

He maintained his composure and continued on, feeling some resistance. Her breathing was hard as she took him in, the discomfort starting to take affect. She felt him hesitate, and then he kissed her. She then felt the tiniest bit of pain as, she assumed, he broke through her virgin barrier. He stopped completely after, kissing her softly. It only hurt for a moment but it was done.

Once she felt herself calm down, she moved against him, testing the waters. It wasn't terrible and she hoped it only got better. Daryl began to push forward again, getting all the way inside of her before he pulled out to thrust in again. He kept a slow rhythm, hoping that she was okay. Her face had begun to show signs of pleasure, which encouraged him. He began moving faster, hoping maybe she would reach her peak along with him. He felt the tell-tale signs of his own impending orgasm and tried to hold off but she felt too good and it had been quite some time for him.

He thrusted a final time, spilling himself into the condom. He wanted to collapse over top of her but fell to her side. He pulled the condom off and threw it to the floor, not caring since they were leaving tomorrow. He tried to catch his breath, as Beth snuggled up to him. She kissed his chest in reassurance, wanting to convey to him that everything was alright.

Daryl took a moment to catch his breath before turning to look at her. She had a silly smile plastered on her face. "Whatcha smilin' bout?" He asked curiously.

"Nothin'." She smirked. "I just remember finding this movie Shawn had in his VCR when we were younger. Just seemed like we'd be louder." Her face grew red as she muttered her thoughts out loud. Daryl couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from his chest.

"Ain't real, that shit." He rolled over on his side, facing her. His hand ran down her chest and stomach, stopping just above the soft patch of curls. "But, if you wanna wake up Merle, I can help with that." His face was serious but his eyes held a hint of glee.

"Maybe another time, husband." Beth teased as she moved his hand from her body and sat up. She grabbed his flannel and pulled it over her body. "We should get some sleep." She tossed his boxers back at him and sauntered back over to the bed.

"Whatever ya say, wife." He couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips as the one word slipped through his mouth that he never thought he would say. Wife.

As she drifted off to sleep next to him, the word echoed in his mind over and over again. And for the first time in the last few months, he wasn't afraid.

* * *

Well, we wanted them back together, I think this counts. LOL. Apocalypse Married!

Thanks to Carla for all your help. Pretty sure you wrote a few things in here so I can say you were featured in this chapter.

As great and lovey as this moment is, you know us and we never let that go on for too long. Next chapter will introduce some new adventures.

Thank you to everyone who follows and favorites this story. We are so overjoyed by the love we receive for this collaboration. We love every review we receive and we read each and every one, so don't be afraid to send us your thoughts.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: lupadaisy, DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, TWDFan05, Coffeeandsippycups, nightdrive23, StrangersAngel, BubbaSue, Reignashii, Ela1980, soniabell, kevkye, malzateb, Trixieviv, jeanf, moriahhh, Jasper'sCowgirl, Tania Ibarbia, nikole salvatore, MistressKitten, jamielynn25, Ayame2004.

* * *

They had been on the road for close to an hour, from what Beth could tell. They hadn't made it to far, thanks to Merle. He had apparently stayed up drinking when she and Daryl had left him alone in the living room. He was suffering this morning which was fine with Daryl.

Beth couldn't help but grin at the brothers and they teased each other relentlessly. Daryl would occasionally smack Merle in the back of the head when Merle would make an offhanded comment about Daryl's chipper mood being directly related to him finally getting his dick wet. Every time Merle joked about them having sex, Beth turned red. After he caught the first glance at her embarrassment, he knew he was right and made sure to make several more comments before he was done. Beth swore the man lived to make others uncomfortable.

As the sun started to grow higher in the sky, the merriment ceased and they both became the trained hunters once again. Beth watched their movements, studying and learning from them. She noticed the way they seemed to silently communicate with each other, which was not unlike the way she had learned to communicate with Daryl back at the trailer park. She was able to understand the looks and gestures. They both seemed on edge as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

They continued on for several miles before both of the men stopped suddenly.

"Heard it, too." Merle muttered. Beth strained to pick up on what they were hearing but all she heard was the leaves rustling in the wind.

"There's a town a few more miles to the north. Ought to get moving." Daryl looked back at Beth and held out his arm, waiting for her to step forward and ahead of him.

"Can you hear them?" Beth whispered as she passed Daryl. He nodded but didn't say anything else. As the wind picked up, she could smell the stench of rotting flesh traveling through the air. Her pulse began to race as she reached down for her knife.

"Come on, let's pick up the pace lovebirds." Merle called back to them. Beth rolled her eyes as she quickened her steps. They reached the town a lot quicker than she thought they would. She wasn't surprised to see litter covering the streets and the glass broken out of many of the store fronts.

"How many were back there?" Beth asked, finally feeling relatively safe enough to ask.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head over that. They can't keep up with us."

"Probably a dozen or more. But he's right. I doubt they kept up with our trail." Daryl said reassuringly.

"You've gotta teach me how you do that." Beth informed them. Merle smirked at her eagerness and moved further down the street.

"Let's just get where we're going first, then we'll figure that out." Beth's shoulders slumped but she understood. It wasn't safe to train her when they were out in the open like this. She and Merle would train close to the apartment building so if anything happened, they were close to shelter. Out here, anything could happen. "C'mon. We need to look for supplies."

They found a store that didn't seem to be terribly foraged through yet. The windows were still intact and the door was shut pretty tight. Daryl and Merle managed to get it open, a loud creak echoing through the abandoned town.

Daryl went in first, his crossbow armed and raised. Beth took the centre with Merle shutting the door behind them. The hunter listened intently for any noise, Beth trying to hear for herself. When no sounds came, they moved around checking every aisle and corner, making sure there was nothing else in here with them. Once they deemed it clear, Beth went straight for the shelves.

It was obvious that someone had been through here at one point as things were pushed around and were littering the floor. It was organized chaos as whoever it was, didn't take much. It was a small mom and pop store that carried the basic grocery items and random knick knacks.

Merle went straight for the cash register, checking for money and a gun. When he came up empty handed on both, he checked around for packs of cigarettes. Daryl was searching for the survival needs with matches, flashlights, batteries and maps of the area. Beth went for food and water, throwing any canned good into her bag until it was overflowing. She met up with the boys in the front, switching the bags out so she could grab more. She would re-organize them later once they found a safer place.

Merle was still bitter about not finding much for himself. He popped a couple of Tylenol, hoping to help his hangover. He did manage to find some boxes for Daryl and when he saw his brother, threw them at him. Once Daryl caught the boxes and took a look at the name printed on it, he shook his head and threw one box back at his brother.

"We don't need anymore little Dixons running around brother," Merle chuckled. Daryl blushed a little but did shove one box into the bag. Beth happened to move around the aisle as he finished closing the bag.

"Whatcha got there Dixon?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She did manage to catch sight of the box color and knew immediately what he had thrown in here. "Do we not have enough already?" He looked up to catch her biting her lip and eyeing him seductively.

"Never have enough," he smirked. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her softly, allowing himself to have a quick moment with her. She reciprocated, pulling him close, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. It was only when they heard a loud cough, obviously on purpose, did they pull away from each other.

They moved back to the front of the store, where they were preparing to leave. Merle started to open the door but stopped. He inched closer between the gap to see what was going on. He shut the door and looked back to his brother.

"Got about four out there, wanna take em out or move around them?" Daryl scratched his chin, looking between Merle and Beth.

"Take em out. Don't need them making any noise or followin us. Got enough bolts for em," he replied, getting ready to bring them down.

"Door's gonna make a lot of noise, best we take them out quickly." Merle grabbed his knife, ready to get in on the fight. "Barbie's gunna hafta get her hands dirty for this one." Beth rolled her eyes and got her knife ready.

"Be safe out there and stay where I can see you," Daryl muttered to Beth. She nodded and was ready for this to be over with. Once the door squeaked open, they moved outside, each taking the walker closest to them. Daryl shot the first one with a bolt, then grabbed his knife for the second. Merle was quick to put down his while Beth used all her training to get hers. It took a minute for her to figure out the best approach, as she let the walker get closer. Daryl was watching her the entire time, making sure it didn't get to close. He knew now that her and Merle worked on this a lot and that she was quite capable of handling this on her own. Once she sunk her blade into it's skull, she felt a powerful confidence in herself.

"I'm gettin good at this, pretty soon I won't need you at all," She gleamed. Daryl smirked, proud of his woman for getting it done. Merle snorted and moved back to where they came from.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone has a big pair. Like to see you go against a dozen of those thing on your own."

"I'm gettin there," she muttered to herself. She grabbed the shirt from the dead body and wiped her blade, not wanting to get her clothes any dirtier than they already were. She looked up and had to squint to see what was coming down the road. "What's that?" She pointed behind them.

They both turned to see where she was pointing. Behind them was a giant wall of walkers, no more than half a mile down the road from there. Daryl grabbed his bolt from the first walker and looked to Merle.

"Might get your wish after all," Daryl growled as he pulled back and loaded his bow. Merle shook his head.

"Too many, we need to get inside."

"I thought we lost them." Beth muttered in confusion.

"We did." Daryl spat back, his irritation growing by the second. They started to head back into the store when something else caught Beth's attention. Two bodies, running much as a living person would do, came into view at the end of the road just ahead of the herd of walkers.

"Daryl! There are people out there!" Beth grabbed his arm and stopped him from entering the store. He followed her gaze and, sure enough, he could make out two people running towards them. He was right, they had lost the herd. But these dumbasses had just led it right to them.

"Get inside." Daryl ordered as he pulled his bow and pointed it towards the two strangers quickly approaching him. He could see in his peripheral vision that Merle was shoving Beth into the store and he breathed a quick sigh of relief. "Stop there!" He shouted to the people just a few yards ahead of him.

"Woah!" the man shouted back, his hands in the air. "Don't know if you can't see it but there are about a hundred of those fuckers following us. Stopping isn't really an option."

"Seein' as you brought them here, don't think I haven't thought about lettin' you fend for yourself." Daryl took a step closer to them, his bow pointed at the man's head.

"Can we measure dick size later and just get off this road, please?" The blonde woman looked up from her bent position as she tried desperately to catch her breath. "Let's just go."

"Daryl! Get your ass in here lil brother!" Merle shouted from the door. "Leave em." Daryl contemplated just letting them go, but if there was one thing that he knew for certain, is that Beth would be pissed if he just ignored people that may need help, no matter how stupid they were. She was the kind spirit of the three and if he was being honest with himself, he could use some good karma right about now.

"Get in." He ordered the two with the twitch of his bow. He could see them sigh in relief as they ran to the door. He could hear Merle cursing as he slammed the door behind them but chose to ignore it.

Once they were all locked in and safe, they watched as the herd moved past the windows of the storefront just a few minutes later.

"Thanks," the blonde spoke, sinking to the floor, trying to catch her breath. Beth looked to these new strangers, grateful they were able to save them but still feeling uncomfortable with them locked in here with them.

"You wanna explain to me how the two of ya couldn't outrun a bunch of those deadlings?" Merle asked, cleaning his knife with a cloth, eyeing the newbies down.

"Don't need to explain ourselves. Those things just group together out of nowhere. Once you notice them, it's too late." The man replied, standing tall with his arms crossed.

"They followed you here, which put us into danger. Now we're stuck in here until they move along which could take days," Merle was getting livid. He didn't want these people here and he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion.

"As soon as they're gone, we'll go our separate ways. Won't have to see your ugly face again."

"You sure you wanna talk like that when you're out numbered right now," Merle gritted out between his teeth, getting chest to chest with the other man. Daryl got involved, pulling his brother away.

"Don't do this, keep your cool man," Daryl spoke to his brother, holding him back from what he was sure would be a beating.

"You gettin' your boyfriend involved now?" Daryl was about to strike when they heard thumps along the windows and door. The bodies outside were obviously able to hear their loud voices and were being drawn to them.

"You need to stop fighting and yelling," Beth whispered loudly, getting a grunt from the man.

"Stay back sweetheart, the grown-ups are talking right now." he spat out towards her. Daryl took the opportunity, while he was addressing Beth, to slug him right in the jaw. He fell to the floor, holding the spot that Daryl hit.

"Don't talk to my wife like that," he muttered. The woman crawled over to the man, holding him down to stop him from fighting back.

"She's right. We need to stop this. They're gonna hear us and get in here and then we're all dead." The woman spoke. Beth went to Daryl grabbing his fist and rubbing her fingertips over his knuckles which had started to turn red. They remained silent for a few minutes, the tension slowly coming down between the men.

Beth looked over at the two newcomers and thought it was best to start over with them. She looked to the woman and moved closer to where she was.

"I'm Beth. That's my husband, Daryl and his brother Merle," she spoke softly.

"I'm Andrea, that's Shane."

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What? Brandy, did we just do that? I think we just did that. OMG. We're finally getting to meet some people from Team Family. Any thoughts on what will happen next.

Like we've said, we've taken the tv series and flipped things around a little bit. So this story might take a little more of a twist than you expect. Stay tuned.

Thanks to Carla for all the help.

Thank you to everyone who has been leaving reviews, favoring and following our story. It means the world to us!


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks to all those who left reviews last chapter: brady66, Ayame2004, DarylDixon'sLover, StrangersAngel, missy7293, castlefan83, Lettuce. , Coffeeandsippycups, Scifigirl22, ledanna, Ela1980, nikole salvatore, malzateb, Tania Ibarbia, kevkye, Jasper'sCowgirl, mffl4131, Majestic butterfly, Reignashii, TWDFan05, jeanf, Trixieviv.

* * *

Beth and Andrea were the only ones to speak, and they kept it hushed. Beth found out they had been on the road for a week or two and were making their way to Fort Benning. Only when Beth spoke about getting her and the boys to her family farm did the lightbulb go off in Andrea's head. She excused herself from Beth and made her way to Shane, who was licking his wounds in the corner by himself.

"What was the name of Hershel's daughter?" she asked quietly, not wanting to alert the other three to what they were talking about.

"Maggie, why?"

"Not her, the other one. The one they thought was dead."

"I don't remember, Bethany or something,"

"Beth. Young blonde girl, about twenty years old. She was just telling me that they are on their way to her family farm."

"Can't be the same girl." He craned his neck to take a better look at her. She was currently sitting beside Daryl, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I saw a family picture on the mantle. It was a couple of years old but she looks like that same girl. I think we found her."

"Either she ran off with redneck there or she's paying him for protecting her."

"It doesn't matter what they are to each other. I'm just tellin you that they are going to head back to that farm and tell them we're still in the area." Shane looked annoyed.

"Why would they tell them about us? It doesn't make sense."

"She'll tell her sister. Her sister will tell Rick." Andrea explained. Shane sighed and rubbed his hand over his short stubble on his head.

"Fine, we'll tell her they're dead and stop them from going back to the farm." Shane said simply. Andrea was shocked that he could be so nonchalant about something like this. He saw this disgust on her face. "For all we know, they are dead."

"We can't lie to her."

"We can and we will. These redneck assholes, I know guys like this. They grew up living off the land. They can be useful. We tell her her family is dead and we get them to help us get to Fort Benning."

"Shane, I don't think-" Shane stopped her with a rough grip on her arm.

"Then don't." He growled. Before she could react, Shane was headed back to the others. "Beth, what'd you say your last name was?" Beth looked up at him with confusion.

"Dixon." She responded. Shane laughed and rubbed his head again.

"I assume that's his name. But if I had to guess, it's probably Greene." Beth gasped.

"How do you know that?" She stood up quickly and ran to him.

"We were at your father's farm. Your sister and brother, Maggie and Shawn were there. Shawn died early on. After a few weeks, we had a herd tear through the place. We all got separated. We were supposed to meet at a house not far away but no one showed. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think they didn't make it off the farm."

Beth just stood still in front of him. Her face was frozen as she took in what he told her. "You're lying," she barely whispered. "They can't be dead." Daryl walked up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this-,"

"What happened? I want to know everything!" Her eyes flooded with tears, as they started to fall down her face. Her voice trembled as she tried to regain her composure.

Just as Shane was about to speak, Andrea moved in front of him.

"When we got to the farm with our group, Shawn had just died. He got bit and was put down by Otis. You father and sister were just beside themselves."

"Otis and Patricia were there?" she asked. Andrea nodded and continued.

"Everything was going along great and then this herd came out of nowhere. There were just too many of them and they were going to overtake us so we all just got up and escaped in different directions. We had a plan at a safe house not that far away but no one ever showed. Your dad didn't look like he was willing to leave the farm, and Maggie ran off with her new boyfriend."

Beth's face scrunched in confusion, unsure of what to make of this story. Her breathing picked up, which Daryl noticed right away. He brought her to the back of the store, to try and calm her down.

"Beth, you need to keep calm right now darlin'," Beth looked him in the eyes and her heart just broke. She fell into him, wrapping her arms around him to hug him tight.

Merle eyed Shane suspiciously. "How many people were with you? Said you had a group, how many were ya?"

"There was nine of us that made it to the farm. Had more but we lost them along the way."

"So there was nine of you, plus her pa and sister."

"They also had some family friends. Otis and Patricia." Andrea added.

"So a baker's dozen and only the two of you made it out?"

"We never met up with anyone after, we figured they were dead. We got out pretty fast, the others were trying to defend the place."

"So you're cowards then?" Shane fumed with anger and was about to give Merle a taste of his own medicine when Andrea stopped him.

"You want them on our side, you better keep yourself in check," Andrea whispered away from Merle's ears. Shane knew that Andrea was right so he kept his mouth shut. He went back towards the window to check on the status of the walkers. There were a few stragglers who were hovering around the window but the others seemed to be moving down the road, slowly.

Daryl held onto Beth, holding her in his lap and rubbing her back as she cried. He always had it in the back of his head that they might not find her family but he wasn't prepared to find out today. She was inconsolable right now, sobbing into his shirt and there was nothing he could say to her to make her feel better.

Merle came over to him, crouching down beside them.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I truly am," Merle spoke. Beth looked up him with her red rimmed eyes and gave him a small smile. "Keep your head up. Me and Daryl are gonna take care of you," Beth nodded and sank back into Daryl.

"I gotta steal your man away from you for a minute. He'll come right back," She let Daryl go and moved herself to the floor, grabbing the flannel from her bag. He kissed her forehead, brushing her hair from her face. The brother moved over to the corner, keeping her within a short distance.

"You get a feel for these two?" Daryl asked, nodding towards their new friends.

"Something ain't right. Story got holes in it."

"Think they're lyin?"

"Not sure. They know about her family, who was there. Just feel like somethin's off with these two."

"Gonna ditch em after?"

"Not sure. Check and see if blondie wants to head towards the farm. If she don't then we don't have anywhere to go and who knows, maybe numbers ain't a bad thing at this point."

"I don't like him around Beth."

"Don't think you gotta worry bout him poking her. Think he's already sticking his dick into the other blonde."

"Ain't that I'm worried bout." Daryl whispered, looking back at Beth. She was still sitting on the ground, his flannel shirt in her hands. Her tears had stopped, but there was no emotion on her face and she stared at the floor. He only hoped that this was temporary.

It was nearing dinnertime when Shane felt it was okay for them to leave. He was gathering up the few things they had when Andrea stopped him.

"We have a decent sized place and a roof over our head. We can stay the night here, figure out the plan and move on tomorrow." Shane nodded and made his way towards the others.

"Think it best we stay the night here, let all those geeks mosey on down the road and we'll be in the clear tomorrow. Let the ladies get a decent night's rest while we can discuss where we're headin' next."

"What makes you think we're goin' with you?" Daryl gritted through his teeth. Annoyed him to hell that Shane was assuming they were all going together.

"Something we can discuss after. Andrea's gonna make us all some food." Merle and Daryl looked to each other, knowing what Shane was up to. Trying to play nice, hoping they would go along with them.

"Sounds good," Merle spoke. Shane went back to Andrea to give them space.

"Already startin to try and butter us up. Boy's got another thing comin if he thinks we'll go along with him, no questions asked." Merle spoke softly to his brother. "Sweets say anything yet on where she wants to go?" Daryl looked down at Beth who was sleeping with her head in his lap.

"Ain't said much at all. Only took a few sips of water and fell asleep."

"She'll snap out of it. Doesn't take long nowadays. Moping around gets you killed. She knows that."

"Think she needs some time to grieve. She was hellbent on getting back to Georgia."

"I get you're trying to win husband of the year with her, but we don't get to grieve no more. Death is outside the door, round every corner. We need to leave here tomorrow." Daryl looked down at Beth and brushed hair out of her face. Merle left him to think things over.

Andrea brought him a large plate of food, telling him he could share with Beth if she felt like eating.

"My sister was bitten at our first camp so I get what's she feeling. Just try and get her to eat a little somethin," she spoke softly and with concern.

Daryl refused to wake her, knowing she needed sleep more than any of them right now. He just kept running through all the information he had been told. Shane saying that Beth's family was dead. Merle, not quite trusting the story. Andrea hiding the guilt on her face whenever she thought no one was looking. Nothing was adding up here but there wasn't a lot of time to figure it out.

When nightfall came, Beth had woken up once to use the bathroom and drink some water. Daryl got her to eat a few of the stale crackers that were leftover in Andrea's bag but that's all she really wanted. She unrolled their sleeping bag and went right back to sleep. No more than a few single word answers.

Merle, Shane and Daryl all grouped together in the centre of the room. Daryl kept an eye on Beth the whole time, making sure she wasn't in harm's way.

"Surprised you never went through Fort Benning on your travels here."

"Went around. Tried to stay away from the major cities or towns." Merle answered. "Saw some signs but it was pretty quiet around there. Couldn't tell if it was bustling with people or crumbled down to ashes."

"Atlanta was bombed. Was sitting on the side of the road with my buddy Rick and his family. That's where we met up with everyone else. Took our chances up in the rock quarries but that got overrun. Was on our way to Benning when we came across the farm. Let us stay there for awhile till it got overrun."

"And everyone just took off and you never saw them again."

"Wasn't really in a position to be making an evacuation plan. Got Andrea and we left in our car. Ran out of gas, had to run the last 2 miles till we got to safety. Checked the area for three days, not a hint of anyone." Daryl looked over at Merle and they both acknowledged the other, silently.

"Where do we come into this?" Daryl spoke, slightly agitated by Shane's slip.

"Strength in numbers. Hard enough just me and Andrea on our own, having to take shifts with sleeping and keeping guard. If we had you two with us, actually be able to eat more than just canned peaches."

"Three." Daryl snapped. The way Shane eyed Andrea next to him didn't go unnoticed and added another thing to the list that Daryl didn't trust about the man. "That house you went to after, how far away was it from the farm?" Daryl asked.

"Bout eighteen miles out."

"Ain't too large of a search grid," Daryl muttered to Merle, who nodded his head. Shane, being the perceptive being that he was, needed to bring these men back to the task at hand.

"Hope you ain't thinkin' of goin' back there. We looked and we got out of there. The herd that took over the farm would be right on our heels. If anyone happened to live, they're just as far in the other direction then."

"She ain't gonna wanna just leave it at that."

"I get it. The missus lost her family and I feel terrible enough that I had to be that person to tell her but she needs to move on. These days, we don't get the opportunity to be upset. I lost my best friend out there; his son, his wife, they were family to me. But I don't get to grieve them, just like we ain't got time for her to grieve hers."

"She just needs a day to snap out of this. You got somewhere we can hole up?" Merle asked. Shane rubbed his stubbled head and licked his lips.

"The place we were at last night ain't' far from here. It ain't the most secure, but it's got four walls and a roof."

"We'll head there tomorrow, let her fix herself up, give her some space and she'll come out of it. Then we figure out where we go after that." Merle wasn't going to let Shane get the upperhand on them. He and Daryl needed to figure out what was really going on here and how much they could trust the man in front of them.

* * *

So, I've come to the consensus that you guys don't like Shane and want him dead. Well, now i gotta go re-write some stuff...LOL! NOPE! We jut finished chapter 24 so you'll just have to trust us. :)

Thank you to everyone who's still on this crazy ride with us. We adore each and every one of you! We still see no ending in sight so hopefully everyone will still be hanging on with us.

Thank you Carla for checking out spelling mistakes. So if you find any, it's all her!

So we know that Shane's story isn't all that truthful and Andrea seems to be going along with it. Wonder how long this little grouping is gonna last. And Beth, well...you'll just have to wait and see what happens. I promise you'll like it.


	20. Chapter 20

A big thank you to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, TWDFan05, brady66, castlefan83, Coffeeandsippycups, StrangersAngel, lupadaisy, Ela1980, Guest, moriahhh, jeanf, kevkye, Reignashii, Tania Ibarbia, brinxb, Trixieviv, Ayame2004, menage a trois

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Beth woke up with a warm body right next to hers. Her eyes felt heavy, along with the rest of her body. She managed to look up and see Daryl, fast asleep beside her, his arm thrown over her protectively. Rather than the usual butterflies and excitement she received from him, she felt empty.

She thought she was at her lowest when she woke up on the farm, looking for her family. Her father had been gone for the past two days, her sister for a week and her brother almost a month. She felt abandoned and lost. This was a time where she needed her family the most and they left her without a word. Filled with anger and resentment, she extended the same courtesy to them and left without a trace.

Now, with no idea if her sister or father were alive, knowing her brother was dead, she went back to that dark place she had been all those months ago. Only this time, there was no name for her feelings. It was just emptiness.

She gently moved out from under Daryl's arm, to get up and move around a little. Merle was no where near them so, she figured he must be on watch. The other two were probably around here, off in their own little corner. Andrea seemed pretty nice and maybe she was trustworthy but Shane was nothing but bad news. She felt it in her bones and would shudder any time he looked at her. Between the Dixon men, he would never get close enough to her but being in the same room as him still made her cringe.

She made her way to the front of the building and sure enough, Merle was perched by the window, taking a look outside. She never said a word, just silently strode up next to him and observed the streets herself. She felt an arm nudge her side and she looked down to see Merle thrusting some jerky at her. She turned her head slightly to see he was still looking outside, clearly not allowing her to say no to this request. She grabbed a piece and took small bites to appease him.

"Gonna be travelin' today. Need your A game lil' bit." Beth nodded. She wasn't in the mood to defend herself or even speak for that matter. Least not to anyone but Daryl. They left it at that, keeping the silence between them as she continued to slowly chew on the jerky. She felt nauseous and sick because of it, but it also probably had to do with her not eating much the day before.

She felt an arm slide around her stomach, holding her close to him and she knew right away that Daryl noticed her absence. "Anything out there?" he asked to Merle.

"Seen two of em just bumpin' into each other about an hour ago. Nothin' since."

"How long have they been out?" Daryl pointed back at their new roommates.

"Blondie and the beast went to bed not long after you. If'in ya don't mind, I need to catch an hour or two myself. Ain't used to being the one takin' care of people. Shit's for the dogs." Merle grumbled as he walked to the back of the store. Daryl rolled his eyes and released Beth from his arms to take Merle's place.

"He don't mean it. He's a dick but he's blood." Daryl whispered to the window. He didn't know what made him say it. Maybe he wanted to let her know they were still there for her, that she still had family. But he felt like an ass as soon as the words left his mouth. The feeling only intensified as her gaze hardened as she looked out of the window. "Beth, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk about it." She murmured and turned without another word and left Daryl alone at the front of the store. He knew this was hard on her and he wanted to give her the time she needed to grieve but a part of him knew that Shane was right. No one had time to grieve anymore. It was dangerous to be anything but aware at all times.

He stood watch for several more hours before he heard someone walking up behind him. He turned to see Andrea standing behind him, her eyes cast downward which Daryl found slightly odd.

"How's she doing?" She asked.

"An asshole she doesn't know bluntly told her her family was dead." He shot a sharp glare at her before continuing. "How would you feel?"

"Shane doesn't have much of a bedside manner. His candor has gotten him into trouble but he means well. It's better that she knows now than to get there and maybe find them ripped apart or walking around with the others." Andrea's eyes darted around as she spoke and it didn't go unnoticed by Daryl. A part of him wondered if her family was really dead, but he didn't want to question it and give her any hope.

"He was a cop," Daryl stated more than asked. Andrea looked up at him, slightly shocked.

"How did you know?"

"I've known a lot of guys like him. Always seem to be cops." Andrea smirked and her shoulders relaxed visibly. "We should get moving." Daryl pushed away from the glass and moved to the back of the room, not giving Andrea a chance to respond. He could hear her move to the other corner of the room, over to Shane, and start to wake him.

He found Beth back on the spot they had slept on last night. However, she wasn't asleep. Her eyes were red and puffy and her breathing was coming in soft pants. He wondered if she had been back here crying this whole time and he had no idea. Merle was snoring an aisle over so Daryl decided to wake him up first. He tossed a bottle of what looked like conditioner at his head causing Merle to jump up with a string of obscenities flying out of his mouth.

"We're packin' up." He told his brother before turning back to Beth. "Hey," his voice was softer, gentler, than what he used with Merle. "We need to get going."

Beth took a deep breath and sat up, her movements almost robotic. She nodded to him and began packing her bag without a word. He wanted to comfort her, offer her words of reassurance, tell her that he thought they were lying and that they could still be alive. But he didn't know how.

Everyone was ready to go and waiting by the door. They made the small plan of Andrea opening up the door, letting the men check the area and take out any stragglers while Beth and Andrea followed up behind. Beth's bag was on her back, her knife in her hand. Daryl watched her, looking for any signs of fear or anything for that matter. Her face remained neutral, devoid of any emotion. He kissed her head one last time and moved to place himself by the door.

When Andrea swung the door open, with the large crack, Shane went out first, searching every angle, looking for danger. Daryl took the left and Merle the right. A few walkers heard the noise and began the quest back towards them. Shane and Merle took them out effortlessly.

Daryl was watching his side, and keeping a watch on Beth. She held her knife at her side but she didn't seem too concerned with what was going on. Her eyes were looking around but he could sense that she wasn't trying her hardest. He sighed and pushed back the anger inside. He needed to be calm and rational right now with her because she was a thread away from snapping.

Once the area was clear, Daryl came up beside her and grabbed her arm gently, only trying to pull her away from the others. She looked over at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I need you to keep your eyes peeled Beth. They can come out of anywhere. Use what me and Merle have been teaching you. I need you." It was a simple request but hopefully she understood what he really meant. He needed her alive and if she wasn't careful, she'd be dead. With a simple nod, they got to moving along with the rest of the group.

Shane watched the exchange between the newlyweds and could feel the frustration bubble up inside of him. He was growing impatient with Beth's attitude and had to figure something out fast on how to deal with it.

The hike back to the old house didn't take long. Shane kicked open the door close to an hour after they left the store and allowed their guests to enter.

"Two bedrooms. One on the left is where we slept the other night. You can have the one on the right." Shane offered as he rubbed his head. Beth wordlessly moved to the room on the right and closed the door behind her. Shane scoffed and turned away from the men, earning a glare from the brothers.

"Daryl, why don't you and Merle go check on her. Shane and I are going to see about getting something made for lunch." Andrea eyed Shane, daring him to argue. He nodded and both Dixon's retreated after Beth. When she was sure the door shut tight behind them, she turned on Shane.

"What are we doing?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"You just said we was making food for everybody," Shane retorted.

"You know what I mean. You brought them here and now you're mad because she needs to cope with this…" her voice dropped even lower, "lie that we've told her."

"Come on, she's dead weight. Either she gets over it soon or we ditch them." Shane spat with annoyance.

"I thought you wanted them with us, that's what all this is about." Shane didn't respond, he just rubbed his head again and moved back to the table where their bag was resting. Andrea knew that twitch of Shane's. It either meant he was lying, holding something back, or angry. It was his tell. She decided to press him further. "I don't think we should talk about the farm anymore. They seem to know something is wrong."

"What'd you say to make them think that?" Shane growled back at her.

"I didn't say anything, this was your idea!" Andrea shouted, momentarily taken aback.

"What kinda secrets are you two love birds keepin' from the rest of the class, hmmm?" Merle stood against the doorframe, a smirk on his face and a knife in his hand. Andrea looked to Shane, her face white with fear.

* * *

When they got into the room, Beth had already curled herself on the bed, and just stared at the wall. The brothers could do nothing but look at each other. This was something she needed to figure out herself, and nothing good or reassuring would come out of either of their mouths.

Merle left the room, citing the need to take a piss. Instead of curling up to Beth like he wanted, he sat beside her bed, leaning against it with Beth's head next to his. He grabbed his crossbow and started cleaning it out, getting some of the walker guts out from the gears.

She kept quiet, watching him. She was still trying to figure out everything and wondering how long she would feel this loss inside of her. Something her mother had told her many years ago, after the death of one her beloved horses, played in her head. "The pain doesn't go away, you just make room for it." Was there any room in a broken heart? She looked over at Daryl, and knew that it couldn't be that broken if she still felt love for him inside of her chest. Maybe she just needed to hold onto that fact instead of dwelling on the pain.

She slid her hand along the comforter, inching her way to his neck. Her fingers caressed the skin just behind his ear which caused him to stop working for a moment. He caught himself and resumed the work, but welcomed the touch that she offered.

"As mad as I was at them, when this all started, I couldn't stop thinking about them," she spoke ever so softly. "It was one thing for me to run away like I did and be angry cause I knew that they were still out there, alive. And at the first sign of trouble, I just wanted to be back on the farm and know they were okay. I was willing to forgive them, maybe."

"You would of."

"Yeah, I just didn't understand why they thought it was a good idea to leave me. I needed them and they weren't there for me. I need them now and they aren't here for me again." Beth could feel the prickle of tears in her eyes and pushed it down. She refused to cry anymore. What was the point.

"I ain't leavin you Beth. Never again." Even hearing him speak those words of reassurance, Beth couldn't help but wonder how truthful he could possibly be. She took her hand back, tucking it back under her own head and resumed staring at the wall. Daryl was glad that she was starting to open up but he'd been around enough sad people to know that it was slowly eating away at her. And there was not a lot he could do to help.

* * *

We got a little more insight to Beth's feelings towards everyone and Daryl's feelings towards her. Shane and Andrea seem to be coming apart at the seams too.

400 Reviews! You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for getting us there and for all the love you guys send us.

Would love to hear what you guys think so far and what could possibly happen.

Thanks Carla again for everything you do.


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, nightdrive23, TWDFan05, Reignashii, jeanf, jamielynn25, Ela1980, Jasper'sCowgirl, malzateb, G13, Tania Ibarbia, Trixieviv, asianballofdoom, kevkye, nikole salvatore, Shy40, Lettuce.

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 **TRIGGER WARNING - PHYSICAL ABUSE SCENE**

They all stayed quiet throughout the night, keeping to their respective areas. Daryl took first watch, while Merle slept on the couch. Shane eventually came down but Merle merely kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep, while Shane kept watch. He didn't trust the man enough to keep his family safe after all the whispers he and blondie were exchanging.

Daryl made it into the bedroom to see Beth fast asleep. He got into bed beside her, laying on his back, his arms stretched behind his head as he thought about their next steps. Would it be the best idea for them to head back to the farm, so Beth could see for herself? Shane didn't seem to be on board with that, in fact, he was quite defensive about the whole thing.

Daryl knew something was wrong and he needed to figure out what it was. As he was thinking, he felt a small hand come up on his chest. A warm body soon followed. He looked down slightly to notice Beth had curled up to his side. It made him happy to know, that subconsciously, she was still there with him, and still cared. He was never one for needing affection, having gone through his whole life without it, but having Beth with him for the past several months, made him accustomed to her touch. Without it, he found himself craving it. She was always wanting to give into their attraction for one another and he was always pulling away. Now, he would give anything to have her back to the way she was.

He eventually fell asleep and woke up to find Beth in his arms, facing him. She was playing with the buttons of his shirt, not paying attention to him. She was deep in thought, as she occasionally would bite her lip in contemplation. He watched her for several minutes, just enjoying the peacefulness between them.

She did eventually look up to see his bright blue eyes staring back at her. Although her face didn't show it, her eyes spoke volumes and there was more than enough love floating around in there to make up for her stoic face. She didn't seem as depressed as she had been the past few days, but it was still there.

"Do you think we could go out today, just me and you," she spoke so quietly. "I just need some space from everyone."

"Yeah. We can." he replied. She kissed him softly but quickly rose from the bed to get into a change of clothes. He got out of bed, more slowly, his body aching from all the running he had been doing lately. He was so used to being cooped up in a truck for hours at a time, that when he finally was able to stretch his legs, he was walking for almost twelve hours a day.

He got off the bed and watched her as she changed her shirt into the semi-clean one from her pack. Although it had been merely days since she had given herself to him, it felt like months and he suddenly wished they could be in a safe place again so they could take their time and enjoy each other. It was so unlike him to be wanting someone so badly, but that's what Beth had done to him. She changed him.

"We still have some food in the packs?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"Yeah, probably got some jerky left and a few canned soups." he replied, grabbing the bag from the floor to rummage around for some for breakfast.

"Yummy," she responded sarcastically. He smirked and grabbed the jerky and some water for them to snack on. He wasn't sure how long she wanted to stay out so he made sure they had some food on them for their walk. They left the comfort of the bedroom and made their way downstairs.

Merle was up and sitting on the couch, eating his own breakfast. Andrea was leaning by the window, while Shane was pacing in the other room. Daryl and Beth looked over at Merle and then Andrea, wondering what was going on. There was serious tension in the room and it was hard to tell who it was between.

"We're goin' out for a bit," Daryl spoke directly to Merle.

"No need to go outside to get your rocks off. None of us mind hearin' the floors shake," Merle chuckled and Beth rolled her eyes. She grabbed Daryl's arm and left out the front door. The minute the door slammed shut, Merle got up off the couch.

"Gonna use the bed if they aren't," Merle climbed the stairs and closed the bedroom door behind him.

Andrea was still by the window as she watched Daryl and Beth walk down the gravel path. She had her pack, while he just carried his crossbow. She figured they weren't leaving, cause they wouldn't leave Merle behind but she was getting curious to where they could be heading. Maybe they were even planning something behind their backs.

Andrea couldn't help but feel panic well up inside her. She felt guilt more than anything. She still didn't understand why they had to lie to them. She sighed and remembered exactly why. Shane.

It seemed like such a great idea at the time to leave with him. The group was divided and she thought that Shane was making better decisions than Rick ever did. He had a better head on his shoulders and was thinking of the safety of the whole group. But then, he went and did some dumb shit, like opening up that barn of dead walkers to everyone, causing a scene. And she was so lonely after Amy died that when he threw a little attention her way, she was a goner.

If the Dixons were planning on leaving them, Shane was gonna blame her. That's all he ever did now. When they left the safety of the farm, it was her fault for making a bigger deal out of things, for making people choose sides. Everyone sided with Rick after the blowup, so it seemed necessary for her and Shane to leave at that point. They stayed in the area for a week, in case Rick or Lori had changed their minds but it seemed like they were easily forgotten.

They'd been on their own for weeks and apart from some angry sex, they barely spoke. Finding Beth was almost a sign, like this was an opportunity to go back and have a group of people again, but Shane deflected that pretty quickly. He was still focused on getting the hell outta there and she was no longer seeing the point.

Shane was muttering to himself in the other room, pacing like a caged, rabid animal. Andrea knew he wouldn't like it, but she needed to tell him to come clean. They could go back and bring her back to her family and maybe all would be forgiven in the end.

"Where do you think they went?" Shane asked, coming into the room. He spoke in a hushed tone, knowing one of them was upstairs.

"Probably out for a walk. She's been cooped up too much. Probably needs to clear her head."

"They're planning on leaving. They keep talking bout the farm and you making those guilty faces."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It's your fault for them asking questions. Should have just kept your mouth shut, said it was too much to talk about or some womanly shit like that." Andrea was beyond pissed at this point and crossed her arms over her chest.

"There was no need to lie to her. We could have reunited her with her family and gotten back on our way."

"You think Daryl was gonna let her go? Those two think they're married, and even if her daddy had a problem with it, I don't think he was gonna turn them away. And Merle, he'll stick by his brother no matter what."

"So what? We can still get to Fort Benning without them." Andrea practically shouted.

"We need those redneck assholes and, as long as she's in the picture, they aren't going to play nice."

"So what? You gonna kill her? You think they'll follow you with her being gone?" Shane remained quiet as he eyed Andrea. Her eyes grew wide as she realised he wasn't playing around. "You're actually thinking about killing her?"

"I'd be doin her a favor. She's weak. She wouldn't last a day without those two."

"I can't go along with this. We're talking about a human being's life!" Andrea shrieked. Shane glared at her, his fists clenching tightly.

"Keep your mouth shut. You know the other one is still here."

"I don't think I care if he hears me. What you're suggesting… it's murder. I can't-"

"Then don't." He growled back at her. She stopped and looked at him, her face displaying the utter shock she felt at the moment.

"Lori was right," she whispered. In hindsight, she hadn't meant to say it out loud. And she only realized she did when his hand came down across the side of her face.

Andrea held her face for a moment before glaring back up at the man before her. His face was red and his eyes looked almost black. She's never seen him look so feral before and it terrified her. She slowly began to back away from him but he followed her step for step.

"You think I'm crazy, too?" his voice was menacing.

"Shane! Stop this!" she cried again, no doubt this time she would have grabbed the attention of Merle.

"I know what we gotta do to survive! If you can't handle what that means then you are as good as dead too! Just like her!" Shane drew his arm back again, ready to strike. But before he could connect to her face, something stopped him. Rather someone.

"Now I know you ain't thinkin' about hittin' a lady while I'm around, officer," Merle sneered.

"Let go of me," Shane spat back through gritted teeth.

"If I do, you best walk out that door and cool your shit." Shane didn't respond. Merle took his silence as his agreance and released his hold on his wrist. Shane began to walk away and Merle's attention turned to Andrea's face. He didn't notice Shane turn back around and swing for his head.

"Shane! Stop!" Andrea screamed as Merle fell to the ground with Shane jumping quickly on top of him, throwing punch after punch into the grounded man's body. Shane was deaf to Andrea's screams. All he saw was the blood on his fist and the red in his sight. He didn't hear the front door open again. He only knew Daryl had returned when the younger brother ripped him from his intended target and began kicking and punching at him mercilessly.

Beth watched in horror as the scene unfolded through the open door. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as she watched Andrea crying in the corner and screaming for everyone to stop, Merle rolling over on the ground to regain composure, and Shane and Daryl tossing punches at each other. Every time Shane's fist or knee connected with Daryl, Beth felt a part of her break inside. Anger she had never experienced before welled up and threaten to explode.

Without conscious thought, she grabbed the knife off of her belt and held it tight in her hand as she continued to watch the men wrestle around on the ground. As Shane seemed to gain the upper hand, his body over Daryl's punching wildly into his sides, Beth moved into action before her mind could keep up.

As the knife fell from her hand she realized what she had done. Shane rolled off of Daryl who was gasping for air- apparently Shane had started to strangle him- and blood squirted from the hole in his neck. She had severed his artery and he was bleeding to death right before her eyes. Andrea's cries ceased and Merle stood between them watching the life slip from Shane's eyes. Daryl stood up and towered over Shane.

"He wanted to kill her." Andrea whispered as Shane struggled to breathe.

"Clearly, he underestimated our little blondie." Merle chuckled. "She's a nightmare dressed as a daydream." Daryl couldn't take his eyes off of him. Learning the truth, something he had already feared himself as he began to gag on his blood, made him wish they could draw out his suffering. Beth, however, had other plans.

Silently she walked up to him and pulled the gun from Shane's waistband. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger lodging a bullet in the center of his skull. She lowered the gun slowly and looked down at his dead body and said loud enough that Andrea could hear her clearly.

"Don't fuck with my family."

Andrea felt chills run down her spine and the sense of dread spread through her at the thought of having to tell her the truth.

Beth chucked the gun onto Shane's dead body and immediately went to check on Daryl. Shane had gotten a few good punches in that left his face slightly cut up and bruised. He was searching her eyes, looking for traces of guilt or regret but found nothing but concern over him. She kissed him softly, reassuring him that she was alright and kissed his forehead.

She looked over to Merle to see him holding his left side, most likely from Shane's kick to the ribs. She turned around to Andrea to see her cheek had reddened from the slap she received. Beth went to her pack to grab the first aid kit she kept in there.

"You're gonna start talking. No more bullshit" Daryl stated with firm eyes towards Andrea. She felt the weight of the glares on her as she slid down the wall, her eyes still glued to her dead lover.

"I don't know if I can." She mumbled.

"All ya gotta do is fill us in on why lover boy wanted me and my brother to get you to Fort Benning." Merle groaned as he took a seat at the dining room table.

"He thought you would be an asset. But he thought if… he needed a way to keep you from going to the Greene farm." Beth stopped wiping at the cut on Daryl's face and turned to Andrea. "The farm was never overrun. Shane left because he lost control. He killed Otis and threatened anyone else that got too close. Rick and the others, they didn't trust him. So we left."

"Wait, my family is still alive?"

"Your dad, Maggie and Patricia were still there when we left three weeks ago." Beth swallowed the lump in her throat and turned back to Daryl's wounds. She could feel his eyes bearing down onto her but she chose to stay focused. She was elated that they were still alive but she held onto that excitement for the moment.

"So guess we're heading back to the farm then," Merle groaned from his chair. Beth stepped away from Daryl to dig through the bag to find some bandages for Merle. She brought them to the table for him where he could wrap his ribs if they were indeed bruised.

"I don't think I'd be welcome there," Andrea said softly, suddenly feeling unwanted.

"We'll make sure they understand," Beth said as she passed Andrea, going back to tending Daryl.

"Do you mind if I go lay down for a bit?" Andrea asked, getting up from her spot. Beth nodded and watched her walk up the stairs slowly. Before she disappeared, she turned around. "Do you need help with…" she motioned to Shane's dead body on the floor.

"I got it," Daryl replied. Andrea turned back around and made her way to the bedroom. It was quiet for a few minutes, as Beth rubbed some ointment on Daryl's cheek and Merle was checking out the damage on his own skin. Beth finally made eye contact with Daryl who was still concerned.

"They're alive," she whispered.

"They're alive," he answered back.

* * *

So everyone wanted Shane dead and well, you got your wish. You don't threaten women and expect to live, especially in front of the Dixon men.

Thanks to all the reviews you lovelies leave, love reading each and every one of them. So now that we know the family is still alive and still back at the farm, what are you thoughts on what happens next?

Thanks to Carla. I don't even know if you read this chapter so if there are any grammar issues, I guess that's on me this time...whoops!


	22. Chapter 22

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, castlefan83, TWDFan05, brady66, vettech60, Ela1980, Reignashii, StrangersAngel, Jasper'sCowgirl , Guest, kevkye, G13, malzateb, jeanf, Tania Ibarbia, soniabell (x2), Majestic butterfly, BubbaSue, Lettuce. , Trixieviv.

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They had gotten a good night's rest and were ready to start on the trek back to the farm. Daryl had buried Shane's body the night before, at Andrea's insistence. He might have been a terrible man but they buried people, they burned the walkers. That morning, while Daryl and Beth were getting their packs ready, Andrea went and stood by the plot, to say her final goodbye.

They had mapped the best way to get there and would hopefully make it back in the next three days. Beth was anxious to get back as quickly as possible but she knew that with Merle's bruised ribs, they would be slowed down. They hoped to get a vehicle along the way, but would trudge on regardless.

Daryl was still concerned about Beth. She had to be pushing down her feelings of guilt, because she was just pushing through everything with a smile on her face. He kept waiting for her to snap but so far, she was fine. She was being more affectionate now, kissing him at every chance she got. He wasn't going to complain as he missed this part of Beth, but it felt like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It was time to leave, and Merle was slowly making his way out of the house. Andrea was coming back from Shane's body and Daryl and Beth were waiting at the front.

"We ready to do this?" Andrea spoke, not a hint of sadness in her voice. The other three nodded and started their trek back to Beth's home.

Their first day was nothing too concerning. A few walkers came out of the woods but they were more than capable of holding their own. That night, they took turns on watch so they could all get some sleep. If the rest of their journey could continue on like this, then everything would be fine. But that was never the case.

The second day started out fine, but by late morning, they ran into trouble. They were walking along the side of the road, Beth right next to Daryl's side, talking about the farm and how she hoped her horse Nelly was still there. Daryl nodded along, happy to see her being so passionate about life again.

A scream pierced the almost silent nature, which put them all on guard. They looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from, as the trees were not helping with their sound reverberance. Another shriek, from another person alerted them the sound was coming from the north, and they all ran towards the sounds to see what the problem was.

Daryl and Beth had never met up with anyone on their travels. Merle being the first, and Andrea being the second. This was so odd to find other survivors, deep in the woods, when other people they knew would be holed up in houses or buildings.

They kept hearing the screaming, multiple voices at this point. Daryl had also started to hear the groans of walkers and could tell these people were being attacked by these things. He and Beth were able to get to the clearing first, to see some tents set up, but a mess of bodies, alive and dead, surrounding the area.

Everyone was covered in blood and at first, Beth couldn't tell the difference between anyone. Daryl had begun killing the dead, first with a shot from his crossbow, then with his knife. Beth went straight for the closest walker, who was searching her out for it's next meal. She plunged the knife, deep into it's head and pulled back, getting a splatter of brain mass along her. She looked over to see Andrea fighting with her own knife and Merle pushing walkers towards Daryl, as he couldn't handle fighting just yet.

It was a small group of walkers they needed to take hold of and Beth had only killed her second dead one when she saw it. She almost dropped her knife in anguish as she witnessed the scene in front of her.

Daryl and Merle were making great work of the few walkers left. Merle would push them towards Daryl, and he would stab them in the head. The majority of them were slower and older but there seemed to be some fresh ones too. The camp that was set up here was probably attacked and the occupants were bitten and turned already. He had lost Beth in this hurry of the situation, but knew she could handle herself quite well. When they saw that everything had been put down, and there were no survivors, they all could feel the tension creep up at the situation. Merle and Andrea took a moment to catch their breath, while Daryl scanned the area for Beth. Her signature blonde hair was no where to be scene and panic started to set in.

"Where's Beth?" he asked frantically, still looking and straining to hear her voice or something. Merle got up and helped in the search and they both seemed to hear the sound at the same time. They ran the few yards to see a small hill down. At the bottom, they saw Beth, sobbing over a body. Daryl jumped from his spot, and made his way to where she was, hoping that she was okay.

As he got closer, he saw the body that she lay over, was a small child who had been bit and turned. Beth's knife was still lodged into it's forehead and she cried into her hands. Looking over her to see a few blood splatters but nothing that looked like a bite or scratch, he silently came up beside her.

She was breathing heavily, unable to control her emotions. Everything she had felt over the past few months, bubbled up and she couldn't stop.

"I killed him," she admitted. "I killed him." She kept repeating these words and Daryl couldn't tell if she was talking about the boy in front of her, or if she was finally talking about Shane.

"You did what you had to do," Daryl tried to comfort her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know who I am anymore. I'm not this girl."

"You're still the same Beth. I know who you are. We had to adapt to this world now."

"I killed Shane to save you. I killed this child to save me. I don't feel regret for either."

"They were both threats."

"Is this the world we live in now? No rules, just kill or be killed?"

"We're survivin Beth. And if I could have, I would have killed Shane myself for ever threatening you."

Beth remained silent, and had quieted herself down to small hiccups. Daryl got the knife out from the kid's head and cleaned it off. He grabbed the rag from his back pocket and wiped the blood off Beth's face and neck, as best he could. She looked him the eyes, and he could still see the sadness pooled in them.

"I'm still the same girl you fell in love with?" He grunted out an affirmation as he wiped his own face with the rag. "Maybe you gotta keep on reminding me sometimes," He kissed her softly and helped her up.

It was a somber mood as they made their way back on the road. They had such good intentions to save those who were in trouble and in the end, there was no one left to save. It was such a harsh reality to face now, that they didn't speak.

They walked until the light began to fade and the could set up camp just off the road. They setup their noisemakers around the perimeter and made a small fire to cook up some squirrels that Daryl was able to catch in the last hour. Daryl and Beth would take the longer watch so that Andrea and Merle could catch some good sleep. Beth wasn't tired and Daryl wanted to talk more to his wife.

"Can't keep that shit in like that. It kills you from the inside," Daryl said as he leaned against the tree. Beth was laying in his arms, while his crossbow was within arms reach. They spoke in whispered words as they both kept an ear out for any noises surrounding them.

"I'm just not sure how to feel anymore."

"There ain't no dummies guide to the apocalypse. You just gotta survive."

"What's the point in just surviving then? If our humanity is just gonna die, why don't we go along with it?"

"Don't be talkin like that," he hugged her close, not liking the direction they were headed in.

"We shouldn't have to kill the living." It was more of a statement than a thought. Beth had always held compassion for all those around her, never judging a book by it's cover. She had been tested a lot in the past six months with her running away and meeting the wrong people along the way, but she tried to maintain hope for the good people. That was how it brought her to Daryl.

"We shouldn't but people do stupid things when they're backed into a corner." Daryl confessed.

"Sounds like you know something about that."

"Yeah, I do." He sighed, taking a large breath. "You felt the marks on my back the other night. I was stupid for thinkin' I could talk back to my ole man. Stupid for thinkin' I was better than him. He proved me wrong."

"You are better than him."

"I know that now. I'd never lay a hand on ya Beth, but I sure as hell would kill anyone who dared touch you," Their minds both went back to him having to kill Len, after he attacked Beth. It felt so long ago when it had been only days.

"So is that surviving, or just crazy things people do when they're in love?" Beth giggled.

"Probably both," he whispered back with a small smirk on his lips. He kissed the side of her head and held her close.

It took them four days before they arrived back at the farm. The rest of their travels were filled with a small herd they easily dispatched between the four of them, and the odd walkers. Their food was dwindling down pretty fast, even while Daryl and Merle hunted fresh meat as best they could. Andrea spoke about the gardening that her father was doing while she was there and perhaps the crops would be coming in when they returned.

Once Beth became familiar with the long dirt road that ended at her family's farm house, she sprinted, wanting to get back to familiarity and her home. She had plenty of time to think about what she would say to them, how she would deal with their questions. Her first thought had always been that Daryl was never leaving her again. Her family would have to get over it pretty quickly that she had a husband and they were together. They would also have to welcome Merle as he was apart of her family, regardless of his crude nature.

A million scenarios rang through her own mind on how they would explain themselves for abandoning her. She was willing to listen but there was some residual anger that would probably always linger inside of her. It was something she needed to work through, but just being back with her family, might help that.

When she came around the last bend, she was welcomed with the last possible thing she could ever expect. She crumpled down to her knees and watched it all unfold in front of her. Daryl and Andrea came up behind her a minute later, both slack jawed at what happened.

Not a sound came from them, only the odd murmur of a walker, trapped behind a fence. The house was empty, the cars were gone. The barn was burned down.

There was no one here. There was nothing left.

* * *

Gosh these people just can't catch a break. ARGH! But we saw some opening up between Daryl and Beth which we're always happy to write. So now that she knows that no one is here, and we all know what happened, where do you think they went?

Thanks Carla for helping is out! Love having you around!

Thank you for all the reviews and follows. Makes my day every e-mail I get, and then I squeal to Brandy who in turn, does a little dance. We love it!


	23. Chapter 23

Thanks to everyone who reviewed during the last chapter: castlefan83, DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, rckyfrk, jeanf, Reignashii, nightdrive23, BubbaSue , Ela1980, Scifigirl22, Jasper'sCowgirl, malzateb, Ayame2004, nikole salvatore, kevkye, Guest, Tania Ibarbia, minnie2015, asianballofdoom (x2), missy7293, Trixieviv.

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Beth sat frozen on the ground, her eyes scanning the remnants of her family home. Her gaze stopped on every walker she could spot, making sure she didn't see the greying hair of her father or the short brown hair of her sister.

Daryl and Merle began to walk closer to the fence, their weapons drawn and ready to fire at the walkers should they get to close. Andrea dropped to the ground next to Beth and wrapped an arm around her. Beth could barely hear her whispered condolences. She watched the brothers look over the ground, walk around the fences, and weave in between the lame walkers milling around, before they turned and headed back to her.

"What happened?" She whispered with a broken voice.

"Walker tracks everywhere. Someone burnt down the barn; distraction maybe." Daryl looked at Merle cautiously.

"Lot of blood there, darlin'." Merle sighed. Tears fell from Beth's eyes as she searched Daryl's face for any sign of hope.

"There were vehicles. A car, RV, and a truck. They're gone."

"Tire tracks are fresh. They made it out, just can't say how many."

"How long ago?" Beth demanded.

"Week. Maybe less. Headed north best we can tell." Daryl sighed and bent down in front of his wife. "I don't know if we'll find em. They could be long gone or worse. We gotta think about makin' a place for ourselves at some point." Beth's eyes widened in horror at the idea of forgetting about her family. As long as she had no body or grave to mourn over, they were alive. Until she saw it herself, she would never believe it. And she would find them.

"We have to try," her words were as sharp as her glare and Daryl knew that there would be no talking her out of it. He would at least try, for her. He gave a quick nod and looked at the others.

"You up for some trackin'?" He smirked at his brother.

"Ain't nothin' like deer, but I've been told once a dog always a dog. Think I got it in me." Andrea laughed.

"I don't think whoever said that was talking about your tracking instincts." Despite the situation before them, Beth found herself smiling. Daryl offered Beth his hand and pulled her up as Andrea and Merle took shots at the other. Merle headed off down the road, his eyes to the ground and his voice louder than it should be. Beth could feel the attention being drawn to them and it made her cringe.

"We got anything that could move fast enough." Suddenly a horrifying thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't see everyone that was put down. How could she know if they weren't here if she didn't see for herself. She stopped walking and put a hand on his arm.

"Daryl… I need to go back. I need to see them."

"Ya told me what they look like. If I thought they were there I would have told ya." He brought his hand out to cup her face, his thumb running across her cheek.

"I need to be sure." Daryl turned to Merle and Andrea and whistled. Merle turned and caught his brother's gaze. They seemed to speak without words as the old Dixon nodded and headed to the end of the road and hunkered down under a tree. Andrea looked confused but followed.

"Let's make this quick." Daryl took Beth around the farm in the same steps he and Merle took just moments ago. Beth eyed every walker, every body, and every extremity that she passed looking for anything familiar. They reached the barn where the most of the bodies seemed to lay. Several were burned before recognition and others were missing most of their heads to distinguish who they once were.

Beth couldn't help but be reminded of World War documentaries she used to watch with her dad. She remembered seeing re-enactments of men walking over thousands of bodies and remembered pray to God that she never saw anything like this in her lifetime. God must not have been listening that day, because here she stood looking at, what felt like thousands of bodies, for her family. Tears fell down her eyes as she thought of the lives lost. Everyone at her feet had a mother, father, son, daughter, wife, husband, sister, or brother. Yet here they were, dead on her farm. She reached out and grabbed Daryl's hand for comfort and pushed her emotions down.

"Up here's where someone died." Daryl nodded. Beth took a deep breath and moved to the side of the barn where she could see the head and part of a torso discarded in a field of brownish red grass. She gasped when she recognized the face.

"Jimmy?" Daryl kept quiet as she bent down and closed his eyes softly. "What were you doing here?" She whispered aloud. Daryl saw the tear fall across the boys cheek as it dropped from her eye. Beth felt Daryl's hand rub her back softly. She whispered a soft goodbye to her childhood friend and stood back up. "I've known him since I was a child. We were best friends for years. He must have come here looking for me." She explained, though she didn't know why she felt the need to. Daryl ducked his head in acceptance and took her hand again, leading her over the rest of the farm.

"Saw another body that looked fresh if you're ready." Beth squeezed his hand gently and followed him towards the tree next to the woodshed. There, she saw more pieces of a body surrounded by a dirt and blood. It was a woman with blonde hair and aging hands.

"Patricia." She sobbed softly. "She's with Otis." He stood by her while she said her goodbyes again and his heart broke knowing that she lost two people she loved here. He just hoped that she didn't see anyone else walking around that she knew. He didn't want her to have to deal with any more loss.

And if nothing else, seeing her in pain and mourning her fallen friends, renewed his own conviction to help her. To find her family at any cost.

They finished scouring the farm, Beth not recognizing anyone else to Daryl's relief, and headed back to the end of the road to meet up with the other two.

"Ready to go, little lady?" Merle asked, his signature smirk less disgusting than usual. Beth nodded and moved before her brother in law.

"What's a girl gotta do to learn how to track? I'm a Dixon after all, I need to know." Merle howled in laughter at his sister in law and moved to his brother.

"Ya picked a good one, little brother." Daryl rolled his eyes and positioned his crossbow in front of him. "Come on girl, you're gunna learn from the best." He threw his arm over her shoulder and started telling her what to look for. Every moved rock, broken blade of grass, or drop of blood on a bush was something to take notice and remember.

Daryl kept a close eye on Andrea as Merle took pride in showing Beth how to track. He had to admit, he was glad to see his brother treating a woman, his woman, with respect rather than just a walking pair of tits and something to stick his dick in.

Beth was very familiar with the area and was able to tell there was some housing nearby. As secluded as her father's farm was, they did have neighbours down the road from them, and they should be arriving at their house within the next couple miles. It was pretty quiet around them, the walkers that had overtaken the farm, seeming to have dispersed over the past few days. If they could clear a house for them that night, they could get some good sleep and figure out a plan of action.

"First house up here belonged to the Frobisher's. It was only the two of them so it might be the easiest to clear. Next house over had like six kids running around,"

"As long as it has a bed," Andrea said. They walked up the driveway and Daryl and Merle strained to listen out for the noises around them. Daryl stopped their group and looked back at Beth. She nodded at their silent communication and started walking towards the house.

"You two stay back here, keep an eye out for anything while we clear the house," Daryl stated, looking more at Andrea than Merle.

"C'mon pretty lips. Best do as baby brother says." Andrea rolled her eyes at Merle.

"You are a pig." She mumbled.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone as pretty as you said that to the likes of me." He chuckled. Beth rolled her eyes again wondering how much longer it would be for either her or Andrea to kick him in the nuts… again. Her musing ceased as Daryl waited for her by the door. She squared her shoulders and focused on the task at hand.

She grabbed the knife on her waist and reached for the door knob, waiting for Daryl to give her a nod before opening it up. Once they were ready, she pushed the door open and stepped into the front foyer filled with nothing but stale air. She held her breath as she always did when she first entered someone else's home, hoping she didn't smell hints of decay and listening for any noises throughout the space.

Daryl had banged on the walls a couple times, to stir up anything that could still be in the house. They didn't hear anything right away and took that as a good sign. The house did have an odor to it but it seemed more like mold and mildew, compared to that of death. The main floor was pretty open, some newer renovations that seemed to be done in the old farmhouse. Everything was clear, including the powder room and pantry in the back.

As they made their way upstairs, the smell became more noticeable but it was bearable. All the bedroom doors were closed so Beth and Daryl had to check each one. They found the source of the mold problem when they saw one bedroom had the radiator broken off the wall and water had sprayed everywhere. With the hot summer heat and no air in this room, the mold has spread quickly over the walls and wood floor. Beth immediately opened the window to the room just to get the air out.

"We'll leave this door closed and locked. The window should help air out the smell for the night" Beth said, closing the door behind her. With the house clear, Beth made her way outside to get the other two.

"Got two rooms upstairs and a pull out couch in the living room." Daryl said, as he checked the bed in the pullout.

"Merle needs to rest so he can take a bed upstairs. We'll take down here. We can take turns tonight on watch," Beth offered. They all seemed to agree and went their ways to scavenge around the place. Beth had already noticed plenty of canned goods in the pantry, probably from last fall's harvest. It would give them some fruit and veggies to eat while the boys would bring back some meat for them to enjoy later.

"I'm gonna get some rest. I'll probably come down later to take watch from you two," Andrea stated, already climbing the stairs. Beth looked over at Daryl who could see the wheels turning in her head.

"You guys start pouring over the maps, I'll get us some food and water." Beth felt bad for Andrea. She knew the woman was lost, upset, and angry and they really couldn't fault her for any of it. She herself had just gone through a lot of the same emotions. Andrea had tried to defend her to Shane, so she wasn't going to say anything about it. Andrea needed to process and go through this and Beth would help her any way she could.

She grabbed some peaches and green beans from the shelf and noticed a few jars of pig's feet in the back. She put back the beans and took the feet for Daryl to enjoy. As she put down the jars in front of them, she saw them looking over the map of Georgia from her bag.

"They was headed North, and we're about here."

"It was a week ago, they could be anywhere at this point. Probably has enough gas to get them to the North Carolina if they wanted to get the hell outta here." Merle exclaimed.

"Don't make sense for them to be travelin that far. Gotta stay close to what you know," Daryl countered. He looked to Beth, "You know anywhere round here you think they would be?"

Beth was a little taken back by the sudden interest in her opinion. She blinked a few times trying to think of anywhere.

"They might have gone to Atlanta but if Andrea's group said not to, then I have no idea where they would be."

"Chasing ghosts at this point." Merle flopped onto the couch and took a pig's foot from the jar.

"Still worth tryin'" Daryl muttered which earned a little grin from Beth. They were probably ones who just gave up when they didn't have anything to go on. It made sense when you were hunting. No tracks, no point. But these were human beings who would leave evidence behind or something for that matter and they would just have to be patient to find it.

"Let's head north, along with the tracks and see where that gets us. We'll stay clear of Atlanta unless something brings us there." Beth said. They all agreed and went their separate ways to rest for the night.

* * *

So a bit of a filler chapter but still important. They are still adorable regardless.

Thanks to Carla for finally getting caught up on the chapters. I don't know what we are going to do when you're gone again. Guess you can't leave.

So many reviews this past chapter, and I promise, we are getting close to some familiar characters. Our group just needs to find their way.

Keep those reviews and follows coming. We love to read them and giggle and squeal with everyone so please keep it up so we can annoy our husbands. LOL!


	24. Chapter 24

Thank you to everyone who reviewed during the last chapter: brady66, DarylDixon'sLover, nikole salvatore, Reignashii, jeanf, rckyfrk, Ela1980, missy7293, arrowsandangels, Jasper'sCowgirl, arrowsandangels (x2), Trixieviv , malzateb, Tania Ibarbia, asianballofdoom, kevkye, arrowsandangels (x4)

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They had been on the road for over a week now. Beth was surprised when they found themselves just outside of Athens. She could see that something had happened here; they seemed to have run into a herd because the trail veered to the right and down another side road. Exhaustion was setting in and she had hoped that they would have been close by now but another obstacle presented itself.

Also, to her surprise, Merle was keeping pretty quiet about his annoyance. She assumed he was just glad to be with people he actually cared about and doing something rather than hiding in that apartment building. She could see a difference in the Merle she met a short time ago, to the one she knew now. He was adapting just as quickly as she was. The only thing that hadn't changed was his crudeness and she didn't mind it anymore.

"Guess we head east now." Daryl pointed to three distinct tire tracks on the road that all followed each other. Andrea wobbled slightly and slid down a tree.

"How much longer are we going to keep this up? We're going to die from exposure at this point before the walkers can get us." Beth took one look at Andrea and bit her tongue. She had wanted to lay into her for lying to them in the first place. Had they gotten an earlier start to the farm they might not have ended up so far behind them. Beth reached out and touched the woman's head. She was burning up and it had nothing to do with the Georgia sun.

"Are you ok?" Beth leaned down and offered her some water she had been saving. Andrea nodded and gently took the water from Beth.

"Just exhausted." Beth hid her concerns. They were all exhausted but something else was wrong with Andrea. She stood and walked over to Daryl to talk to him when she heard Andrea vomit up the small amount of water she had drank.

"We have to find some place for her to get over this." Beth whispered to Daryl. He glanced over his shoulder to the woman sitting against the tree and nodded.

"Merle mentioned it yesterday. Been looking for something decent for a while. You been too busy trackin' to notice." He grunted with a smirk. She felt a pang of guilt that she was so consumed by following her family's trail that she failed to notice the health of the woman with them.

"What do you think is wrong?"

"Dunno. Been pukin' for a while now. Probably dehydrated." Beth regarded the woman before her and noticed that her skin was dry and pale rather than dampened with sweat. It was then that she realized that Merle was no where to be found. Daryl noticed her looking around and answered her question, "He's out lookin' for something." Beth felt even more ashamed that she didn't see him leave.

"I still have a lot to learn. I guess it's tunnel vision." Daryl chuckled and kissed her head.

"You'll get it. Doin' damn fine already." Beth smiled and took her pack off to look for one of the rags she had found along the way. As she started to take the lid off of one of her bottles Daryl stopped her. "Fresh stream is that way, you can hear it from here." He pointed over her shoulder and Beth strained herself to hear it. "Merle headed in that direction. Let's get her over there. Keep an eye out for anything."

Daryl hoisted the woman off of the ground and carried her through the woods, Beth keeping her gun out and ready, should anything come out to surprise them. They didn't have to walk far to get to the creek and as soon as Andrea was on her feet again she was practically sitting in the shallow water. Beth dipped the rag in the water and placed it over Andrea's forehead.

"Daryl, why don't you go look for Merle. I'll keep an eye on her." Beth was trying to redeem herself after the guilt that picked at her chest for ignorance. Daryl nodded and began walking down the creek.

"Thank you." Andrea mumbled with the rag pressed to her head.

"Tell me what's wrong," Beth sat down next to her on the bank, her own shoes now off and her toes dipped into the cool water.

"I can't seem to keep anything down. Thing is, I've known Shane since the start and when his old partner, Rick, survived Atlanta and Rick's wife forgot about Shane, he used me to fill the time. I didn't mind it. It was stupid." Beth's brows scrunched together in concentration. She was trying to figure out how Andrea and Shane's relationship fit in to how she was feeling. And then it clicked.

"You think you're pregnant?" Beth gasped. Andrea laughed softly and looked at her weakly, her red rimmed eyes looking sunken back into her face.

"Yeah, pretty sure. It'll probably kill me since I can't even drink water. Just do me a favor." Andrea turned her body to face Beth and continued. "If it does, don't let me turn into one of them. Kill me first."

"It won't come to that."

"Quit your gossipin'! I found us a place to hunker down for a while. Got plenty of supplies in it, too!" Merle announced, feeling pretty damn proud of himself. "Think we can get this one here some rest before we can get back out on the road again."

"How far?" Daryl asked, having reappeared out of nowhere behind Beth. She had a feeling he never went to look for Merle and had heard everything.

"About a half mile down this here creek."

"Alright, let's get movin'."

"What? No praise for ol' Merle? Baby brother, I'm starting to think you ain't grateful for all my hard work." Merle grumbled. The brothers started out for the shelter while Beth stayed back to help Andrea along.

* * *

The place that Merle had found looked like nothing more than a crack house on it's last two legs. It was a beaten down old shack with weeds and tall grass making up the landscape. It was something left to be desired but at this point, as long as it provided shelter then she wouldn't complain. It was something, and that's more than they had over the past week.

The boys checked the place out, making sure it had remained empty. Beth held up Andrea who looked like she was ready to pass out at any moment. Once they got the all clear, Daryl came back out and lifted Andrea up and into the house. He had cleared a bed for her, and laid her down. Beth dropped the bags at the door and grabbed a cool cloth for Andrea. Andrea seemed to fall asleep instantly, leaving Beth to cool her down with the cold compress.

Beth sighed, then yawned, feeling the weight of the past week fall upon her. They had been left out in the open that it was so hard to just let your guard down for a moment. There was always cause for concern and the more they traveled, the sicker Andrea had gotten. Now that Beth knew what the problem was, she couldn't help but dwell on what their next step would be. She sat on the floor, propped up against the side of the bed, wondering what they could do.

Daryl stood in the doorway, watching the wheels turn in his wife's head. It was interesting to watch her in these moments because she was like an open book. She was determined, something he learned along the way with her. It was that determination and drive that he fell in love with, and it pained him to know that all this work could be for nothing in the end.

He crept into the room and squatted beside her. She looked over and he could see how exhausted she was. They all were tired, but with the constant fear about her family, it had finally taken it's toll on her. He picked her up in his arms and brought her to the living room where a couch and recliner were set up. He brought her over to the chair dragging her down with him so they could both lie down. Within his embrace, Beth was finally able to let go and fall asleep.

When she awoke, the sun was starting to set, and she was still cradled in Daryl's arms. She lifted her head to see Merle sitting on the floor in front of the couch, cleaning their guns.

"Evening Princess," he called out to her, not even looking in her direction. She smirked and looked over at Daryl who was gently rousing from his own sleep. He pulled her close, and she laid her head back down on his chest.

"Other blondie still asleep but the fever broke. Let's hope it's nothin' serious and it's just her getting used to the baby." Beth's eyes flew open.

"How did you know?"

"Seen enough preggers in my day, knew somethin was goin on with her." Merle cackled from his spot. Beth looked over at Daryl who didn't seem surprised either by Andrea's condition.

"We need to rest here until she can keep food down."

"Ain't like we got a place to go," Merle motioned outside. "We lost our trail now." Beth looked outside to see the rain coming down in heavy sheets. Now that she took in her surroundings, she was able to feel the chill in the air and hear the small water droplets that were coming into the house in various places. She was getting better at the hunter instincts but she had tunnel vision. That was something she needed to shed and quickly.

"I'm not willing to give up yet but I know this makes things even harder." Beth remained stoic. Her family was alive and she was ready to do whatever it took to find them.

"Damn right it makes things harder. We already were chasing a damn car before, now we got the tracks all washed out and pretty soon, another mouth to feed."

"What do you suggest then?" Beth bit back. Merle finally glanced over at her. Her jaw was set tight and her eyes were hard. She wasn't going to back down from him.

"We keep lookin for another few weeks. After that, we got to start thinking long term. Winter's comin and a place like this ain't gonna keep the cold away."

"If she's havin that baby, we need to find supplies. Need to find a place to hunker down in and wait this all out," Daryl finally interjected.

"What about right now? We're runnin low on everything. We need to find some food and water for Andrea, vitamins and other pre-natal stuff," Beth added.

"We're just outside of Athens. Should probably be some type of pharmacy." Merle said, putting the gun back together.

"Me and Beth will go on a run tomorrow. Find some supplies."

"Won't hear me complain. I need my damn beauty sleep just as much as the rest of y'all."

They agreed for Merle to stay behind and watch over Andrea and for Daryl and Beth to get to the town and search out supplies. It would hopefully take them no longer than the day and they could help Andrea get her strength back.

Merle fell asleep on the couch, allowing Beth and Daryl to wander around the house and stay on watch. Andrea woke once in the night, and Beth stood by her as she finally able to keep down some water and eat a few mashed up peaches from the can. Beth tried to fill her in on the plan but she still seemed quite out of it. Hopefully they would find her the meds she would need and some more food for all of them.

By morning, Beth felt more energized than before, as she and Daryl both got some good sleep the previous day. They knew they were going to stay in the run down home for a few days to take a breath and regroup. Once Andrea was able to get back on her feet, they would leave again and try and find some type of sign of what direction Beth's family had run in.

As they walked down the road, Beth could only reminisce of those first few weeks when it was just Daryl and her. As they trudged along the roads, they stayed alert for any signs of roamers around them. Almost a distant memory from everything they had been through.

"Thinkin bout when it was just the two of us?" Daryl asked, taking her from her thoughts. She nodded and blushed.

"I miss those days. Not having to worry bout nothin but each other."

"It's a hell of a lot easier than worrying bout everyone else."

"You regret finding your brother?"

"Nah, he can take care of himself. Just wonderin what we're doin with Andrea?"

"She's the only link to my family. Seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"You regret bringing her now?" Daryl asked with an arched eyebrow.

"She would have been alone now. I'm pissed for what she did, but it was Shane that lied. She only went along with it to save herself."

"And even after the fucker is dead, we're still dealing with his mistakes." Beth stumbled on the road at his words. He caught her small slip but she seemed to catch herself. Normally she would never call a baby nothing but a miracle but she had to re-think that stance. This was not the time or place to be having a baby. The dead were walking and only looking for their next meal. It was hard enough to raise a child in the old world but in this new world, they were as good as gone.

Beth remained silent the rest of their walk to the town. It was quiet which wasn't concerning, it was how eerie it looked. The town still looked like it did before the outbreak, barely any debris or vehicles littering the streets. It was an old town, with a centre main street with all the shops lined along.

"I can see the pharmacy from here," Beth stated, pointing up the street a little. She looked over at Daryl to see the trained hunter ready to go, his face devoid of any emotion and his instincts held high.

They made their way over, keeping their weapons trained on their surroundings. They made it to the door and checked to see if it was open. The windows were still intact and the door opened with ease. Daryl grabbed the bell from the top before it was able to ring and pulled it down. He stomped his foot a couple of times, to alert anything that was in the building. Nothing came out and he and Beth stayed together to clear the room before searching.

Daryl would stand watch as Beth got what they needed. She grabbed the empty bag on her back and started filling it with the few canned goods still on the shelf. It was obvious enough that this place was looted over very quickly. The shelves were still intact, but the merchandise was scattered all over. Daryl began scanning the shelves, while Beth was crouched down low. He noticed some first aid supplies and grabbed the few boxes remaining and threw them in the bag at his feet.

Beth scanned the family planning section noticing a the lack of condom boxes but plenty of pregnancy tests. She grabbed a few boxes and shoved them in. She looked over to Daryl who was giving her the side-eye.

"Best we make sure she is. Plus you never know…" she stumbled out.

"Don't plan on getting ya pregnant if that's why you're worried about."

"Are you worried about getting me pregnant?" She asked turning the question around on him.

"Can we not talk about that now?" he shushed her. She stood up and stood in front of him.

"I wouldn't regret it if I was. But let's do everything we can to make sure it don't happen right now." Daryl nodded and pushed her along. She grabbed a couple boxes of pre-natal vitamins and also some one a day vitamins for the rest of them. They were no where near getting enough nutrients so maybe this would help them. She finished the area by grabbing a couple boxes of tampons and pads.

When they got to the pharmacy area, Beth was unsure of what type of drugs they could use if they happen to catch a cold. She bit her lip, not understanding a lot of the medical names on the vials or pills.

"Let's stick to brand name stuff. Tylenol and all that stuff. Get enough to cover everything. We ain't doctors." Daryl sputtered, grabbing whatever on the shelf and throwing it in the bag. Flu and Cold medicine, allergy medicine and even some sleeping pills. They'd look over it all when they got back and decide on what to keep.

Daryl noticed some plastic ponchos wrapped up in a corner display. He grabbed a few to use if they had to camp outside again. It became a game of grabbing everything around them. The back stock room had cases of water and canned corn and beans which they filled the other bag with. They also found a few more boxes of condoms in a box which they stashed in the bags. Beside it, were morning after pills which Beth grabbed a few of those.

They remained quiet as they moved, already making enough noise from the stuff in their packs. It took them about 2 hours to get to the town and they had more than enough from the place. If they needed to come out again, they would check some other stores for food they cleared out this place.

As they left, Daryl took a look at the fews cars lining the streets and wondered if they'd be able to get one working. He put his pack down and tried the driver's side door to see it was unlocked. Great thing about small towns, people were trusting and left their doors unlocked everywhere. The keys being in there was a long shot but he still hoped. If not, he'd have to use his hot wiring skills he didn't want to admit to Beth how he learned.

Lucky for him the keys were still in the ignition, the owner probably leaving in a haste. When the car turned over but died, he noticed the real reason. This car was almost out of gas. The gas light wasn't on but the metre was running low enough that it was only a matter of time. If they could drive even half the distance, that would bring them that much closer to the shack and they could save their energy.

"Is that enough to get us back?" Beth asked, getting into the passenger seat, lugging the bag over and into the backseat. Daryl grabbed his from the ground and did the same.

"Not sure but any distance is better than nothing."

"Should we check the other cars for gas?"

"There's only two others and this one looked like it was still running. I think we should take the luck we got and roll with it." With that he put the car in drive and sped away as quickly as possible. They managed to get far enough that when it did sputter to a stop, the house was only another 20 minute walk from there. The day was still burning bright and they hoped that what they brought back for Andrea would be enough.

* * *

Andrea's pregnant? WHAT? LOL

I told you we were changing things up a bit. This is just another thing. What do you think will happen next.

Everyone make sure to give a shout-out to Brandy. She's been under the weather the past few days and in some serious pain so let's make her all feel better!

Until Friday! Thanks to all those who read, review and follow. We love you for it!


	25. Chapter 25

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: asianballofdoom, DarylDixon'sLover, Ela1980, brady66, RedHead007, Guest, Tania Ibarbia, UnderElectricCandlelight, missy7293, Jasper'sCowgirl , Trixieviv, malzateb, G13, nikole salvatore, arrowsandangels, Reignashii, KelseyNicole08, kevkye.

We hit 500 reviews thanks to you guys! AWESOME!

* * *

 **TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of abuse and rape**

It took Andrea a couple days to finally be able to keep down some food. Her body needed the rest and nutrients from the prenatal vitamins. The pregnancy test proved that she was indeed pregnant and all four of them chose to keep that at the back of their minds for the time being. It wasn't the most ideal time to be welcoming a baby into this world, and after what happened to its father, it was best to not talk about the subject.

Andrea got her strength back and Merle was able to get around better with his bruised ribs, thanks to the pain meds the group had found. Beth and Daryl were able to rest as well, as the old shack provided some protection from the elements. It didn't however, have any privacy with it's one bedroom that was currently being taken up by Andrea. Although they had consummated their "marriage" once, it seemed that fate needed them to focus on other tasks, other than each other.

It was beginning to wear them both down as Beth was wanting more than just heated kisses in the woods and Daryl was needing some release from all the stress and tension of the past few weeks. He swore that the minute they could find her family, or a more stable home , they wouldn't see the outside of a bedroom for a week. Those boxes of condoms were taking up space in their packs but he'd rather use them, than get rid of them.

They got back on the road and followed some clues they found not far from the home. A campsite that looked fresh, that seemed to house several people. Campfire was put out by the rainfall, but Daryl and Merle were able to pick up on the disruption around the cleared area. It was odd, because instead of heading north, they were heading south east. It seemed off but it was the closest thing they had to a lead so they had to follow it.

Beth skills were getting better as the brothers were continuing to share their knowledge with her. She was an expert at skinning animals and making snares to catch some meat. She caught on to animal tracks and walker tracks and was able to take hold of those hunter instincts that were deep within her. With every new thing she learned, Daryl beamed with pride. She caught on to things so quickly and was becoming just as good a hunter as him and Merle

They travelled around for three days, still searching for some sort of clue. They had no general direction and seemed to be going around in circles. As Merle had pointed out several times during their journey, they were following ghosts, and they needed to come up with a better plan. It was causing some tension between them all and it only led to more frustration.

"Where we gonna head now Blondie?" Merle spat out, as they came to a crossroads. There was three roads they could possible take and Merle had enough of guessing.

"I don't know Merle," Beth whispered, looking around her to find some sort of clue.

"Better speak up there," Merle yelled out.

"Leave her alone, Merle," Andrea said.

"Wasn't talkin to you preggers," Merle got up in Andrea's face. She wasn't afraid of Merle but knew when he was pissed, to aggravate him more wasn't going to help. Just then Merle was thrown to the ground, as Daryl had grabbed him by the back of his pack.

"You gotta problem, keep it to yourself," Daryl growled back. Merle stood up quickly, coming face to face with his brother. Beth and Andrea readied their weapons for anything that might hear their scuffle and prayed silently that whatever was about to happen, happened quickly.

"You think I'm gunna lay a hand on her?!" Merle practically screamed. "After ma, ya still think that little of me?"

"It ain't you I don't trust. It's ya god damn temper!" Daryl held his ground, still standing nose to nose with his older brother, "Makes ya act like a simple minded piece of shit and I ain't waitin' around to see what ya do."

"Fuck you!" Merle spat as he pushed Daryl out of his face. "After what they did to ma, ya gotta know." He muttered. Beth looked between the two Dixon brothers and wondered if Merle was tearing up.

"You two need to quiet down," Andrea hissed. Merle looked over at her and his hardened stare softened. He nodded and looked at his brother.

"Swore I'd never treat a woman like what they did to her. Same as you. A Dixon don't back down on his word." Daryl's stance relaxed and Beth could see the shame instantly creep across his face. He nodded and followed behind Merle as they all started to walk, the question of direction forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Beth kept her gun out and ready but caught up to Daryl and quickly matched his pace. She knew this wasn't the time but it was the second time they had brought something like this up and she needed to know what happened.

"Daryl, what happened to your mother?" She watched his muscles tighten and his pace falter. She knew he didn't want to answer her but would, regardless.

"When we was kids, the old man was startin' to get rough on ma. She put up with as much as she could over the years cause of me and Merle but eventually she'd had enough. She hitched a ride out of town. Last thing we heard she'd been found in a ditch somewhere near South Carolina. She'd been raped and murdered. Caught the guys that did it and they'd picked her up at some truck stop." Beth stopped walking and stared hard at the ground.

"That's why you picked me up. Why you're so protective of women." He turned and faced her.

"I saw you and thought of her. I thought of how I wished someone like me had found ma instead. Yeah, it's why I picked ya up. Ain't why I fell in love with ya though. I think some doctor wrote something about that sick shit and this ain't that." Daryl nudged her chin with his finger, a hint of humor in his voice as he tried to lighten the mood. Beth smirked and giggled.

"I'd hope not." She whispered as she leaned up and kissed him softly. As she released his lips, she pressed her forehead to his and spoke delicately. "I'm so sorry about your mama." He nodded against her and rubbed her cheek.

"I know." He kissed her again and turned to catch up to Merle and Andrea. He wasn't surprised to see that they had stopped to wait on them.

They walked until they could hear the steady flow of a stream alongside the road. Daryl went and investigated, seeing that it moved fast and possibly could connect to a larger river along the way. Beth and Andrea perked up at the thought of just getting to rinse themselves off a little. It would be heaven at this point so they were eager to find where they connected.

"Think we should set up camp round here, right by the water. Walkers can't swim so at least we could have one side to not worry about." Merle suggested. They moved along and found the river that Daryl knew would be there. Walking along the waterline, they did find some more level ground that would work for their little campsite.

"Me and Andrea wanna wash up if you boys wanna go hunt down some dinner for us." It wasn't even a suggestion, it was a command, but Merle wasn't gonna listen to her that easily.

"I dunno, been awhile since I've seen the skin of a woman." Daryl grabbed him by the back of his shirt this time, and pulled him towards the trees. He looked back to Beth.

"Stay safe, we'll be back soon."

Once they knew that they were alone, they stripped down to their underwear and waded into the cool water. The sun was still beating down on them, so the water, although cold, was quite refreshing.

"You know, back there, when Merle started talking about their mother and said he'd never hurt a woman, I really felt for him," Andrea sighed, "But then he makes off hand comments like a sex fiend and I just wonder how anyone can stand to be around him."

Beth laughed, "It's take a while but you get used to it. Merle's harmless. He's got a code."

"Doesn't mean it makes it less creepy."

"You'll learn to live with it," Beth said as she soaked her hair and tried to run her fingers through it.

"I don't think we've had a lot of time to talk after Shane died. I know I keep saying it, but I'm really sorry."

"I know you are. Still stings a bit but I get it. Shane was controlling and I certainly would have never stood a chance against him by myself."

"Actually, I think you would have." Andrea waded a little closer to Beth so she didn't have to speak so loudly across the water. "I thought you were weak, but you proved me wrong. You're just as strong as those other two and Shane deserved what he got. Just like I deserve what's happening to me."

"I think we both have to stop being so hard on ourselves," Beth laughed, "This is life now and there ain't some handbook for the end of the world."

"I certainly never learned this in law school," Andrea joked.

"At least you had an education. I was still trying to figure my life out back at the farm when everything changed." Andrea stopped washing her hair and waited for Beth to say more. She looked so sad that Andrea longed to comfort her but she didn't know how. She had heard that there was a falling out with the youngest daughter, but no one ever spoke of it.

"What happened? Why'd you leave?"

"I left long before this happened. Daddy had been recovering from a broken arm and the farm was sufferin'. He refused to hire help and we were on the brink of losing it all. Me and my brother worked ourselves into the ground while my sister managed the house. Momma tried to talk some sense into daddy and even paid Otis under the table to help us. But when momma died, everything changed. Daddy drank himself to the bottom of a new bottle every day, Maggie couldn't handle it anymore and ran off on us in the middle of the night. Shawn… I never saw him again and never knew where he went. Maggie at least sent me a postcard when she got to Atlanta."

"They left me there because they knew I wouldn't leave daddy. But they didn't care about the consequences. So one night, when I was trying to talk daddy into putting down the bottle and going to bed, he blamed me for momma. Said I was the reason she died. He never hit me but he might as well have. I wrote Maggie on the return address on the postcard, packed a bag, and got the hell out of there." Beth watched the ripples in the water and she spoke almost robotically.

"I had no idea. Hershel seemed so caring when I was around him. I can't believe he would say something like that." Andrea's hand ghosted over her stomach and the motion did not go unnoticed by Beth.

"He was sober. Parents do not recognize their children when they are drunk. Remember that." She looked to Andrea's belly and back to her, her face deadly serious. Andrea nodded and made her way back to the bank. She knew nothing she could say to the young woman would be of any comfort.

Beth heard the snapping of twigs in the near distance and assumed the boys had returned. She followed Andrea back to the bank, her feet sliding clumsily on the moss covered rocks below. She saw Andrea walk out onto the grass when she heard the faint growl coming out from behind the trees.

"Andrea, get down!" Beth whispered through gritted teeth. She worked to steady her footing but found the water rushing past her calves playing a cruel game with her balance. She saw Andrea duck behind a tree, a gun in her hand. Beth could see her own weapons only ten feet away from her and she tried to take a step towards but she tripped along the rocks and made a huge splash in the water. The noise attracted a handful of walkers from the trees, something Beth noticed from her back, as the water was flowing around her.

She panicked and sat up, wanting to scream for Daryl and Merle but knew that could only cause trouble in the end. It could attract other walkers and so far, Andrea was the only one with a weapon in her hand and it only contained a few bullets.

The dead bodies were moving towards the water, and Beth could only wonder if Merle was right and that walkers can't move in water very well. She was at a disadvantage. She was down stream and if they did fall in, they would still collide with her. The water was proving to be too much on her and she couldn't catch a footing to help herself up.

Andrea had attracted a few new friends herself and was trying to figure out a quiet way to dispatch of them. Both women were distracted enough that they didn't see the figure come over and start taking off the heads of each walker. Beth screamed as a head landed right beside her and started washing away down the stream. Within a few minutes, their dead friends were taken care of and the women had a chance to take a look at their saviour.

It was a woman with a long narrow sword, who was watching them, waiting to see if they'd attacked her. She failed to notice the two men come up behind her with a crossbow and knife at the ready.

"What you doin here?" Daryl asked gruffly, never pulling his bow away from it's intended target. The woman turned slowly and stared the men down.

"Just saved their lives," she deadpanned. Andrea had gone to the water to help Beth up and out. They grabbed their dry clothes and pulled them on as the other three were having a showdown.

"Some walkers came out of the trees and we couldn't get to our knives. She saved us." Beth explained.

"You some samurai, saving lives and all that?" Merle asked. She didn't answer back, simply held the gaze with Daryl.

"Daryl, it's okay." Beth said, walking closer to him, to hopefully pull him away. The minute that she touched his arm, he lowered his bow but maintained eye contact. "Thank you for doing that. What's your name?" Beth watched the dark woman's eyes drift cautiously from Daryl's to hers. She could sense the woman's hesitation. "We won't hurt you." Beth offer reassuringly.

The woman laughed as she sheathed her long blade. "Michonne. And I know you won't hurt me."

* * *

So a lot happened this chapter. We got some insight on Daryl and Merle's mother, Andrea and Beth had a little bonding experience and we met Michonne. And there's only more to come from this.

Again, thank you to everybody for the love, the reviews, the follows and favorites. It makes us so happy. We're working hard on the new chapters and it's going to get interesting. Some things that you're probably expecting and some things that will surprise you. Can't wait till you see!

Leave a review with your thoughts!


	26. Chapter 26

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, TWDFan05, brady66, lupadaisy, Tania Ibarbia, G13, moriahhh, Lettuce. , nikole salvatore, Ela1980, arrowsandangels, Reignashii,  malzateb, Guest, leylinjan, KelseyNicole08, Lady of Sign, jeanf , Trixieviv.

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They decided to have a get to know you over dinner, in hopes to find out more about Michonne. While the boys got the fire roaring and Andrea was getting the sides prepared, Beth had introduced their little group and explained briefly that they were looking for her family.

"You have no trail, no idea where they could be and you expect to find them?" Michonne scoffed.

"It's worth a shot. I can't say we didn't try." Beth said warmly. She could tell that Michonne wasn't used to having someone to talk to, and probably lost some of her social graces. Beth was used to it at this point, having been around Merle long enough.

Michonne stayed quiet as Daryl came to sit beside Beth. She could tell the newcomer was watching them intently, watching for any signs of distress. She knew what Daryl and her looked like to outsiders. Young woman, older man. It was the end of the world and weak people became desperate for survival and aligned themselves with stronger people. Beth only wished that there was a way to tell Michonne that they were together beforehand but frankly, it wasn't her business.

While Merle was cutting up the rabbit they had caught, Andrea excused herself to the woods and a few minutes later, they could hear some retching. Michonne quirked an eyebrow.

"What's her problem?"

"Knocked up." Merle uttered without any social grace. Michonne instantly had a face of disgust and she eyed Merle down. Beth saw the confusion cross her face and laughed a little.

"Not his. The father is no longer around," Beth explained.

"So you two are 'married', she's pregnant and he's disgusting. Great group you got here." Michonne responded sarcastically.

"Don't gotta stay. No one's keeping you here," Daryl grunted out. He wasn't a fan of this woman as she seemed to think she was better than all of them. Daryl had dealt with people like her his entire life and he wasn't about to let her walk all over them.

"Figured you owe me, so dinner and some time to sleep tonight would be good payment."

"Why don't you come with us? Strength in numbers," Beth suggested. Michonne stifled a laugh.

"I've been scouting around the area, found a prison. Seems like people are stayin there. Thought about checking them out, seeing if they were decent."

"A prison? Sure as hell won't find me there," Merle spoke, bringing the rabbit over to grill on the fire. Andrea came back out of the woods, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Beth offered her some water to help her get the taste out of her mouth.

"What about a prison?" Andrea asked, sitting down.

"Group seems to have settled into a prison. Might be worth checkin out." Beth said.

"Thought you were looking for your family?"

"And what if my family is there. You said there was a group. That means it's a possibility."

"It's north of here. Who's to say they stayed in the state?" Michonne rebutted.

"We've been all over Georgia at this point. Haven't found them. This is the last place I'm willing to look and we're kinda on a limited timeline here so if they're not there, at least we found a place to stay." Beth bit back.

"Oooo, wifey making decisions, gettin tough." Merle chuckled.

"Who says I'm gonna let you come with me?" Michonne asked.

"Because you're not as big a bitch as you make yourself out to be," Andrea responded. Michonne shut up to that retort and soon their food was ready. They ate quietly just as the sun was setting. They divided up the watch for that night and allowed Beth and Daryl to get some sleep first. Michonne decided to stay up with Andrea and Merle for a little bit longer.

Merle was wanting to clean up a bit so he went down stream to bathe while Michonne and Andrea stuck around the low burning fire.

"Can I ask about those two?" Michonne nodded towards the sleeping couple. Daryl had his arm pulled tightly against Beth, holding her close. Andrea looked over at the couple and couldn't help but smile.

"Think it's pretty self explanatory."

"They really married? She can't be more than eighteen."

"She's twenty and I don't know how legitimate their marriage is but why question it? If they are both willing, then why not?"

"Just would hate to see a young girl get caught up in a situation."

"She's smart. And if you spend enough time around them, you'll see it's real."

"Finding love at the end of the world, who knew?" Michonne seemed to be breaking out of her shell and Andrea was hoping that maybe her attitude could change. "What about you. Fairytales and happily ever after?"

"God no," Andrea laughed, "Shane was an asshole and he deserved the ending he got. I should have never gone with him in the first place. I'm glad that we found them along the way, cause they made me realize what a mistake I made."

"What about your baby?" Michonne questioned with a hint of sadness to her voice. "Babies don't do well out here."

"I'm gonna do my best. That's all I can do."

"You ladies done flapping your gums?" Merle came back and plopped down across from the women.

"No, I thought we could share stories about our periods and tampons." Andrea sassed back. Merle only laughed.

"Ya think those things scare me? I've been with enough women in my life, that pieces of cotton on a string don't scare me. And frankly, I've ridden the crimson tide enough times, it ain't so bad."

Andrea just scrunched her face in disgust and left it at that. Michonne excused herself and found a spot, not too far to lay down and rest.

"What do you think about this new plan? Ready to go back to prison?" she asked sarcastically. Merle just chuckled.

"Spent most of my life behind bars, now I'm tryin' to get back in there."

"You gotta admit, it's a good idea. Those fences could keep things out. Cells for each person. Could be the answer we're looking for."

"Bet those people don't know where the best spots are. Lots of places you don't think to look," Merle licked his lips, knowing the treasures he could find. Andrea could only imagine what he was talking about and figured she had enough of Merle Dixon for one day. She would leave it quiet until they could get to sleep.

The next morning, they were huddled over the map, figuring out where they needed to go. Michonne had needed some supplies. She didn't want to alert the prison group to her being there so she had to travel further out to get them. It would take about half a day's walk, maybe more if they needed to rest, but they would be there soon enough.

Beth was excited to start what would hopefully be the last leg of searching. She had come to the decision last night that this was it. She was hoping that maybe her family fell in with these people at the prison and they were safe. If not, she was willing to leave it at that, and focus on finding a home for Andrea to have the baby and for her and Daryl to live. Finding her family had always been her dream, and now she had to push that away and think about her new family.

They had enough food to last them all, as long as they didn't hit any snags along the way. Michonne shared her stash willingly, and the boys would hunt anything they could at this point. They couldn't have Andrea starving in her condition. They needed to keep their energy up so her health was a top priority as they started this journey.

The five of them were able to make good time and within seven hours, as Michonne was familiar with the area, they were close.

"I can take you to a good spot, we can take a look and see what they're up to."

"Why are we not just walking up to the gates?" Beth asked.

"They could be cannibals for all we know. You can't just hope that everyone is good," Merle spoke, trying to find a good vantage point.

"Not everyone is bad either, Merle," Beth bit back. "If my family is in there, I don't care."

"There's some trees on the other side, let's head there. Might get a good vantage point of the yard. It's impossible to see inside but maybe they'll be out today," Michonne pointed towards another area. They moved around, trying their hardest not to be seen. It seemed there was a few people out, and from what Beth could tell, there was someone in one of the watchtowers. She nudged Daryl and pointed up to where she saw movement. He nodded in understanding, knowing they really needed to stay hidden.

Merle squinted his eyes trying to get a better glimpse inside the fence.

"See two people at gates. Looks like inmates," Merle stated. Andrea tried to peer around, seeing if she could recognize anyone.

"Think the inmates just took over the place?" Daryl muttered.

"Possibly. Ain't worth trying to make friends. If they own the place, they'll make sure you know it." Merle said, effectively giving up.

"Wasn't inmates I saw last time. Saw a woman and a young kid," Michonne gritted back.

"We need to make a decision then. Trust Michonne that there are good people in there, or get out and figure something else out," Beth decided, her arms crossed over her chest. As the group hmm'd and haw'd, they heard a vehicle coming down the road, and stopped at the front gates. The two men opened it up to allow the vehicle through and closed it up quickly after.

The SUV drove up to the main buildings and the driver got out. Andrea could feel her breath quickening and she realised the vehicle and the person who came out of it.

"It's Glenn. I know that car and the driver. They were at the farm." She breathed out. Everyone turned to Andrea to ask more questions, but it was too late. She had already started running, through the trees and into the open. Beth started chasing after her forcing everyone to follow suit.

There was a few walkers which Andrea and Beth managed to dodge. Michonne took them out with her katana, while Daryl and Merle were ready with their hunting knives.

"GLENN!" Andrea yelled as she made it to the fence line. She didn't seem to grab his attention so she she started yelling louder. "GLENN!"

"Andrea, you're gonna attract walkers." Beth said, trying to gain her attention. Andrea kept yelling, hoping that someone would hear her. Daryl grabbed Andrea and started moving her towards the front gates.

"Already announced ourselves, let's get in," He grunted with annoyance. The two men who were at the front gates before, seemed to be coming back to them.

"You know him?" a short man with a giant mustache asked from the other side.

"I know Glenn. And probably other people in there. You can go and tell them that Andrea is out here."

The larger man looked down at his friend, clearly conflicted. Daryl and Merle could see their silent conversation etched on their faces as they contemplated what to do.

"I'd prefer to not be killed before you make up your minds," Michonne spat out, as some dead bodies started coming towards them. The tall man looked back at the shorter one and nodded his head towards the building.

"Go get Rick, I'll keep them in here," he stated as the one ran back to the building.

"Rick is here. Does that mean Lori and Carl made it too?" Andrea asked as they got inside the safety of one of the gates. The strange man seemed suspicious of her knowledge but figured she must really know the group inside.

"Yeah, they're here. Whole bunch of them found us."

"Is there a man named Hershel here?" Beth asked desperately. She reached around to Daryl's hand, to draw some strength from his touch. Her hopes were riding high that this man would have good news for her.

"Yes ma'am. He came in with the others," Beth breathed a sigh of relief and could feel Daryl squeeze her hand in reassurance. All she wanted to do was cry, but thought it be best to hold it together.

"Let them in Oscar," came a voice from up the dirt path. It was a man in a plaid shirt, with a gun holstered on his belt. He was running towards them and Andrea felt herself smile.

"Rick!" she yelled out, trying to push the gates out as best she could. Oscar helped move it and allowed Andrea to run at full speed towards her old friend. They collided together in the middle and hugged tightly.

"I can't believe it," Andrea breathed into him. She was crying hysterically, having never believed for a second that she would get back to these people. She wanted to say so much to them but couldn't find the words. Rick finally released her to take a good look at her.

"Got a lot to talk about," he spoke softly. His face was full of emotion, but he was elated to see her.

"We do." Andrea muttered as she wiped her eyes.

"What about Shane?" Rick asked with a furrowed brow. He was worried that things would start up again if he was gonna pop up out of nowhere. Andrea cast her eyes to the ground and shook her head. Rick understood immediately and couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Beth?" a voice came from the top gates, Her head shot up from where she was standing next to Daryl and all she could do was stare as the person came walking down the path, slowly but steadily. All eyes shifted between the elder and the young newcomer.

"Daddy? You're alive!" She let go of Daryl and started running up towards her father. It took only a minute but they reached each other and Beth practically collapsed into her father's arms. Relief washed over her as she could finally feel him close. The tears she was holding in before, flowed freely now, soaking her father's shirt. He refused to let her go, and kept pulling her tighter.

"I never thought I would see you again," Hershel whispered into her hair. Beth released her father and looked back at Daryl. He looked contently back at her as if he were a knight who'd just completed a mission.

"Daddy, I need you to meet someone." Beth took his hand and pulled him over to her husband. "This is Daryl and his brother, Merle." Hershel nodded to the men and extended his hand.

"You two kept my little girl safe?"

"Daddy, Daryl is…" Beth hesitated, looking back to Daryl for reassurance. She wasn't sure how he'd feel about being put on the spot like this but she didn't want her father to think that her life ceased to exist because of what happened. "He's my husband."

"Your husband?" Came a voice from beyond the gate. Beth knew it only belonged to one person. Maggie.

* * *

YAY! Beth got reunited with her family but who's to say how they'll react. And Team Family is there! Who all made it?

Thanks Carla for proofing this. I think you did at least...

Thanks to everyone for the reviews and follows. We love to read each and everyone so keep them coming.


	27. Chapter 27

Thank you to all those who reviewed during the last chapter (and there was a lot of you): G13, brady66, RedHead007, ambermichele, leylinjan, DarylDixon'sLover, StrangersAngel, MistressKitten, ledanna, Ela1980, Str1der2015, Lettuce. , Scifigirl22, Trixieviv, kevkye (x2), nikole salvatore, Reignashii, sarah0406, missy7293, TWDobsession, malzateb, arrowsandangels, Majestic butterfly, 8, Jasper'sCowgirl, lupadaisy, moriahhh, asianballofdoom, jeanf, Tania Ibarbia , bloodroseroxas, BubbaSue.

* * *

"What do you mean husband?" Maggie yelled louder as Beth was trying to figure out the best way to approach this.

"Exactly what you think it means," Beth bit back defensively.

"That's funny, cause I don't remember you getting married," Maggie had come close and was standing beside their father. Beth stood in the middle, closer to Daryl as she was worried about what her sister could possibly do with this sudden development.

"How would you even know? You left and you know I did too! I did what I needed to do to survive and along the way I met Daryl. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourselves!" Beth bit back sharply. She could feel Daryl's hand on her shoulder as he tried to calm his wife.

"Girls, I think we need to talk about this inside," Hershel tried to calm his daughters down and stop the noise from carrying to the grounds surrounding them.

"How can you be so calm about this? Beth turns up alive with some man claiming to be her husband and you're just going to let that happen?" Maggie retorted angrily. She looked between the two of them and shrugged her shoulders, "Are you both insane?"

"Maggie, we'll discuss this inside. I suggest you get in there while we find places for them." Maggie was about to open her mouth to say something when Hershel gave her that stern fatherly glare she hated. She turned and stomped her feet, and made her way back inside.

"Rick, perhaps it be best for you to show them to B Block. I'll take Andrea in and bring her to our cell block." Hershel said, turning back around and making his way back inside. "Beth, I expect you to come find me tomorrow so we can discuss this. Preferably alone." Hershel didn't wait for his daughter to reply, just walked back inside the building with Andrea hot on his heels.

"Well that went well," Merle chuckled. Beth was beyond flustered and annoyed. She wondered if finding them was actually a good idea or not. Daryl grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it soothingly.

"Well, if you guys don't mind bein' in there, I can show you the way." Rick stated, pointing to the other building where they would be housed.

"We're not staying in the same area with the rest of them?" Beth asked with a huff.

"You might be part of Hershel's family but the rest of you, I don't know and I won't have you around my wife and son." Rick turned on his heel and headed to a door labeled "B Block". Merle laughed as Beth, Daryl, and Michonne followed in line behind Rick.

"You're serious?"

"It's alright, Beth. He's got his own people to protect." Michonne offered, her first real words since the gates opened. Beth understood, but it still stung that she was once again being rejected.

Rick showed them to B Block. He explained how they had just finished clearing it out and they had the entire area to themselves. Everyone else was staying in C. He advised them not to wander around and left them to get acquainted with their surroundings. Merle took off without a word and headed to one of the cells to look for hidden rocks.

Michonne took a cell close to the entrance and seemed to momentarily relish in the fact that she had a bed to sleep in.

Beth wiped at the tears and took off in search for a room for her and Daryl. She could feel him close behind her and she was grateful that he was keeping quiet during all of this. The last thing she needed was him feeling guilty about putting another wedge between her and her family. She picked a cell right on the end, far away from the other. It was the most privacy they were going to get and it still wasn't good enough.

There was no privacy with the cell doors and no sheets or pillows on the bed. This was almost as bad as living out in the woods, except here, there was more protection from the dangers outside. Beth threw her bag on the floor and collapsed onto the bed, allowing her tears to flow more freely. Her family was so close and yet she felt like did all those months ago. She could feel Daryl crawl into the bed behind her, and wrap his arm around her waist. He kissed her shoulder and let her get out the tears, knowing there was really nothing he could say to make her feel better.

Beth didn't remember when, she just knew that she fell asleep in his arms, with no clue if she even wanted to fix things with her father and sister.

It was the dead of night, the moon was shining in through the windows of the block and Beth awoke abruptly. It took her a minute to realise where she was and who she was with and it calmed her to know that Daryl never left. The small bed didn't leave a lot of room for the two of them, but they were used to it with their travels in the truck. Just remembering those simpler times made her yearn for that rig. It was their cocoon, away from the world and it was just them. This cell could be the beginning of that for them, once Beth made it homier for the two of them.

Beth was used to not getting a full night's sleep so she was wide awake now. She didn't know when Daryl had fallen asleep but he was in a deep slumber and probably needed the rest. Outdoors, he was constantly on alert, even while he slept. Now that they had some protective walls surrounding them, he could rest somewhat easier.

Rather than lay here, hoping he woke up soon, Beth decided to explore the area and maybe find the bathroom. There was a toilet in here but she would never think to use it. There was no water it in and her husband was sleeping right there. They didn't have a lot of modesty left in this world, but that was one thing she would never do.

She slowly crept out of the bed, making sure to not jostle him too much. He barely flinched as she crawled over him and left the cell. She could hear Merle's loud snores and was glad that there was some distance between them now. She was surprised they weren't attacked more, out in the woods, with how loud he was. She made sure to grab her knife and a flashlight, as it was pretty dark through the corridors. She passed by Michonne's cell to see her passed out too. It was comforting to know that these people could relax and sleep again. Beth hoped to have that same feeling someday soon.

She found a corridor that was almost pitch black, except for the odd flickering light. She would have to find out where they were getting the power from as that was one of the first things the human race lost. Rather than take her chances in there, she would go outside and just pee out there. Seemed like the safer plan until they found out for sure where it was.

The door to the outside opened with a small creak and Beth hoped that it didn't wake anybody up. The night was hot but not too humid. She quickly found a spot around the corner to do her business and after, took a few minutes to just enjoy being outside and not having to worry about any danger lurking around. If she listened closely enough, past the crickets and the light wind, she could hear the growls of walkers, and could see some of their bodies being pressed up against the fence. It was so far away though, for a minute she could almost forget what was going on.

Beth could see there was a figure standing in one of the towers, holding a gun and pacing around the inside. They had someone on watch at nights and Beth wondered what they would have to do if they were accepted into this community. They were willing to pull their weight, Beth just hoped that things got easier for them, not harder.

Beth didn't notice that someone was outside with her until they were a few paces behind her. She turned, her knife ready in her hand, when she noticed her father standing a few feet from her. She loosened her grip on the weapon but still felt guarded around him.

"Think we need to talk, Bethy," Hershel spoke first. Beth nodded and followed her father to a picnic table that was sitting against the building. They sat in silence for a while, neither brave enough to speak first. Beth sighed uncomfortably.

"I am happy you guys made it. Andrea told me about Shawn." She felt tears well up in her eyes. Hershel's head dropped slightly.

"Bethy, I need to be honest with you. When everyone left me, that wasn't enough for me to put the bottle down and realize what was important. It was when God decided we'd sinned enough and Shawn came back for me, that I realized it was time. But my faith returned to me just a moment too late. Your brother was bit trying to take a rifle away from me when we were outside of the farm. I don't remember it and Otis had to tell me after Shawn turned." Beth didn't hide the tears that were falling and she could hear the distress in her father's voice.

"I don't remember what it was that sent you away. I'm just so thankful that God has given me a chance to apologize to you and your sister."

"Daddy, I don't know what to do." Beth muttered helplessly.

"I don't expect you to yet." He reached a hand out across the table and placed it atop his daughter's. "I just hope you give me a chance." Beth offered a hesitant nod and she tried to process all of this information. Her brother's death, her father's admission; she wanted to be angry, but he'd wronged her brother more than her. In time, she knew she'd help him make amends for that.

"Ok." she whispered. Hershel breathed deeply and patted her hand again.

"So tell me about my son in law."

Beth laughed softly and moved to sit next to her father. "He saved my life long before this happened, and he loves me. That's all you and Maggie need to know, really." Beth paused for a minute and continued, "But his brother is pretty crude." Hershel smiled and hugged his daughter.

"You're right, doodlebug. That's all I need to know, but I'd still like to meet him." Beth nodded into his shoulder. "And I'll handle Maggie."

After Beth finished hugging her father, she followed his line of sight. Staring behind her, she turned quickly to see Daryl standing out of the way, allowing them to have their conversation in private. Hershel kissed his daughter's head and let her go.

"I'll see you two tomorrow when we can properly introduce you to everyone." He then wandered off, leaving Beth to walk over to Daryl.

"Everything okay?" he asked, hoping Beth's second interaction with her father had a more positive outcome.

"Yeah. Just a lot to take in, in one day. Your daughter being alive, finding out she met someone and they're married. He just needs some time to get used to it." Beth didn't want to fill Daryl in on the other details tonight. She was emotionally exhausted and the thought of talking about her brother's death just drained her even more.

"Don't blame him. I'd be the same way if it was my kid."

Beth smiled knowing that Daryl was already so protective over her, any child they had would be just as fiercely protected.

"He said he would talk to Maggie tomorrow but he stills wants all of us to come to their block tomorrow so we can all get to know one another." Daryl just nodded and kicked the ground with boot. "I hope you aren't scared to meet them."

"Ain't scared. Just don't like seein' you get hurt by them."

Beth cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly. "We need to find some private space in this place," she whispered, looking up into his eyes.

A sly smile formed across his face, understanding their need to be alone, "We'll go searching tomorrow. I'm sure there's an empty office in here we can claim for ourselves."

"Awwww, a little honeymoon suite," she exclaimed happily. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her back inside to their cell.

* * *

Hmmmm, so a nice father / daughter talk. It cleared the air a little but it seems there is still some things to talk about.

My question is, now that they found a more secure place, when are Daryl and Beth going to spend some "quality" time together. LOL!

Would love to hear your thoughts. All those reviews last chapter were amazing and we read every single one of them.


	28. Chapter 28

Thank to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: Tweety83, arrowsandangels, DarylDixon'sLover, asianballofdoom, Reignashii, BubbaSue, RedHead007, jeanf, rckyfrk, ambermichele, Ela1980, Lettuce. , Scifigirl22, Tania Ibarbia, StrangersAngel, nikole salvatore, kevkye, Trixieviv, malzateb, Cotton Strings(x2)

* * *

The next morning had the four newbies feeling hesitant. Although Beth had spoken to her father in the early morning, she was still unsure how the rest of the group would react to them. The way Rick acted the night before, he seemed protective of his family. She could only assume that he would be the same of everyone else.

They made their way to the courtyard, which divided up all the cell blocks. They were unsure if they could just waltz right into their space or if they needed to wait around for an escort. They didn't have to wait long before Hershel and Andrea came out to greet them.

"How'd you sleep?" Andrea asked Beth with a quick hug.

"Felt like a prisoner. So not well." She sneered back. Beth didn't know exactly why Andrea left this group in the first place with Shane, not fully anyway, but she was bitter that she was welcomed back with open arms when her own family shunned her. Again.

"Don't take it personally." Andrea whispered softly. Beth bit her tongue to keep from lashing back at her. It wasn't her fault. Andrea turned to Michonne, her question directed to her. "Can you come with me a moment?" Michonne quirked a brow but followed her wordlessly. The three remained behind standing awkwardly before Hershel. He cleared his throat and stepped forward to the men.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Hershel Greene, Beth's father." Daryl reached out and took his hand as he remembered something his mother had told him once. 'First impressions can be lasting impressions.' Unfortunately, before he had a chance to speak, his brother beat him to it.

"Know who ya are pops. Blondie here's been talkin' about you non stop for weeks. How bout ya tell us about this set up ya go here." Beth stifled a giggle and studied her father's reaction. His face remained unchanged.

"There'll be time for that. Beth needs to speak with her sister and I need to get to know my son in law." Merle rolled his eyes and took off towards the gate where several inmates were keeping watch.

"Ain't to comfortable being locked up." Daryl muttered. Hershel nodded in understanding and turned to his daughter.

"Maggie is waiting for you inside there. You'll find our cafeteria as soon as you walk in. Try to keep it civil." Beth took her dismissal with a small smile. She leaned over and kissed Daryl on the cheek and headed inside. "Walk with me, son." Hershel moved to the opposite end of the yard that Merle has retreated to. Daryl quickly noticed the makeshift graves they were walking towards and Daryl couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of fatherly scare tactic. As they got closer he could read the names carved on the crosses.

 _Ed Otis Shawn Annette Patricia Jimmy Dale_

Daryl knew five of the names. Five of these people died long before getting here.

"Otis, Shawn, Jimmy, Patricia- they died back on the farm." Daryl questioned. "Annette is the reason I found Beth." Hershel nodded.

"I was to cowardly to make one for Beth. A part of me didn't want to believe that my daughter was dead. I wanted to honor the ones I knew were gone in our new home. Ed was the husband of one of our own, Carol. Dale was a great and honorable man. He believed everyone deserved a chance and there was good in everyone. Just like my Beth." Daryl nodded, still not certain as to why Hershel brought him out here.

"How did you find my daughter, Daryl?" Daryl sighed as he thought through his answer. He could give a simple short answer; lord knows the man didn't seem to deserve much more than that. But it felt wrong.

"Found her a few weeks before it all happened in a truck stop. I picked her up an' she kept my log books. All hell broke loose and we survived. Together. She doesn't know it but she's tough."

"When did you 'marry' my daughter?" Hershel's eyes never left the crosses in the ground as he questioned the man before him.

"Haven't kept track of time in quite a while. Few weeks maybe. Month. Don't matter none to me."

"Why?"

"Cause I loved her long before that." Daryl's voice was strong enough to pull Hershel's gaze to him. He regarded him for a moment before nodding.

"Alright then." He turned on his heel and began to walk back to the prison. He turned momentarily back to Daryl and shot back, "Try and keep your brother out of trouble and I think we'll be just fine here." Daryl turned back to the graves and wondered what the hell just happened. And why he felt like he was just judged by St. Peter himself.

* * *

Beth walked through the door and gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. She could see about ten other people mulling around. She only recognized Rick and her sister, the latter was charging up to her quickly.

"Beth!" She was taken aback when her sister embraced her tightly. Their last conversation had been heated and unpleasant and here they were, acting as if nothing had happened. Beth was furious. "I never told you how happy I was to see you. I'm so glad you made it." The hug was brief and unreciprocated.

"Is there some place we can go to talk?" Maggie sighed.

"Right to the chase. Alright then. Let's go." Maggie turned and placed a hand on a man as they passed. Beth eyed it curiously, as it was something she would do to Daryl. It was a silent gesture that everything would be ok. Maggie had apparently met someone, too.

They entered, what appeared to be, Maggie's cell and the questioning began.

"Who is he and when did you meet him?"

"Why do you care? You didn't care about me when you left me." Beth shot back, her voice a low growl. Maggie's eyes widened as she wasn't expecting her sister to fight back so fiercely.

"You don't understand. I had to go when I did. I felt bad about it but I couldn't stay. Daddy had gotten so bad, I couldn't wait around and watch him die." Maggie tried to step forward to take her sister's hands but Beth reared back.

"And you think I could? You have no idea what he said to me. He doesn't even remember! And now that I'm back all you can do is accuse me of living!"

"I see my little sister with an older man she claims to be her husband and yeah, I"m concerned. I'm worried that you aren't living. I'm worried that you've done something to survive." Beth gasped. If she had been hurt by her father's words before, this was a stab to the heart.

"How dare you insinuate something like that. You don't know what happened to me. What I went through before he found me. You don't know how I had to change to survive and it had nothing to do with sex or payin' someone for protection. Those two men, Daryl and Merle, have been more of a family to me than you ever have been! They didn't just take care of me. They taught me!" Beth's voice rose as she fought to defend both Dixons.

"How'd it happen then?" Maggie's hands went to her hip as she waited for the answer. Beth contemplated what to say that wouldn't make it sound like a means of protection.

"Things started between us just as this all started. When we found his brother, a guy we were staying with attacked me. The three of us killed him. After that Daryl thought it be best to tell everyone I was his wife so they wouldn't think to mess with me." Maggie rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Let me guess, you slept with him and that's been it." Maggie spat.

"I do not have to answer that question." Beth growled back. "Besides, it's not like you didn't do the same damn thing. How long have you been with that man out there?" Beth pointed back over her shoulder as she shouted at her sister.

"Glenn and I are completely different. One, he's my age-"

"Stop! I'm not a child anymore. I've had to kill the living to stay alive so don't pull that bullshit." Maggie held her hands up in surrender.

"Fine. But Glenn and I, we met on the farm when he showed up with Rick. We hung out and kinda fell for each other." Maggie smiled softly.

"So I'm not allowed to have any of that?" Beth countered.

"You really think he loves you?"

"I know." Maggie eyed her for several long minutes before Beth decided to continue. "We love each other. Just be happy for me. Everything is fallin' apart around us and we're all here; together. And yeah, I met someone and so did you. I'm not forgiving you yet. But let's just let it go. I'm so tired of feeling like I am a burden to you and daddy." Beth couldn't stop the tears from slipping out.

"Oh, Bethy. You were never a burden. You were stronger than me. I thought you could handle it because when momma died you ran the whole house. You kept us together. Daddy just didn't know what to do and there was nothing you could have done. I regret leaving. I just trusted you." Maggie reached out and Beth allowed her to take her hand.

"Why'd Rick put us in that other cell block last night?" Beth questioned.

"That was daddy's idea. He was afraid you and I'd fight all night and bring every roamer within earshot here." Beth giggled which caught Maggie off guard.

"We call them 'walkers'." Both girls laughed for a moment before embracing again.

"I don't expect you to forgive me or daddy right away, but we're going to try to make this right. We talked about it last night. I'll try and deal with your…'husband', but don't expect too much. You're still my baby sister." Beth nodded, realizing this was as much as she was going to get out of her sister at this moment. "Why don't we get you settled in with us?"

"Actually, I might want to spend another night where we were. Maybe just bring Merle here." Beth said with a wink, knowing full and well the insinuation would irritate her sister.

"Oh goodness," Maggie groaned as they went back to the common area. Everyone else had conglomerated there, including Daryl, Merle and her father. Someone was servings bowls of oatmeal for breakfast so they made sure to find a spot for themselves.

Maggie had made her way back to the man she was with, Glenn, while Hershel sat down with the Dixons. A woman with short hair came over and handed out the bowls and spoons, not saying anything, just giving a smile.

"That's Carol, and the young girl sitting over there is her daughter, Sophia. She's about the same age as Carl. He's Rick's son, and sitting beside him is his wife Lori." Hershel explained as he took a bite of the warm food. Beth and Daryl took notice to Rick and his family. Rick kept taking glances over at their table, observing their actions and trying to get a feel for the newbies.

Beth could tell there was a little tension between Lori and Rick, as when Lori would place a hand on her husband's arm and whisper something to him, he would pull away and give her a small glare. It was small and probably unnoticeable to anyone else but it was still there.

"Man sitting on the steps is Theodore, but everyone calls him T-Dogg." Hershel added. Merle let out a little grunt and went back to his food. Daryl knew that Merle was someone who could have a problem with people of a different skin colour but Daryl would make sure that no one else knew that.

"We got Axel and Oscar on watch duty this morning, you met them yesterday. And Glenn is over with Maggie."

"We gotta introduce ourselves?" Daryl questioned, not wanting to make new friends quite yet.

"No, Rick and I talked to everyone yesterday. Thought it be best for me to give you the run around here."

"He got a problem with newcomers?"

"Just weary. Took us awhile to find this place and secure it. He's just protective of his family, just as I am," Hershel said, looking directly to his daughter. Merle coughed loudly, almost adding in a chuckle before Daryl kicked him in the shin.

"I assume everyone had to work around here then."

"Absolutely. We got watch duty, runs, laundry, cooking. Be good to have a few extra hands around here."

"Anybody catch fresh meat round here?"

"Rick has a few snares set out but never enough to feed everyone."

"Daryl and Merle can hunt. Set up their own traps, probably get a deer every once and awhile. That should feed everyone."

"That would be much appreciated." Daryl could tell that Hershel was being honest and if that was the way that him and Merle would pull their weight, then he would be happy to do something he at least enjoyed.

Daryl saw Rick get up from his seat and place his bowl near the sink to get washed. He made his way over to their table, and stood behind Hershel.

"Seems we got some expert hunters in these two. Looks like we hit the jackpot." Hershel joked with Rick, already sensing his presence behind him.

"Be good to eat something that didn't come out of a can," Rick added, still staring down the men. "Was hopin we could talk after this, figure out what else you could contribute."

"I'll take them on a tour of the place, show them the bathrooms and showers. I'll bring them back here after and we can find a job for everyone."

"Thank you, Hershel," Rick said, and left to head outside.

"He seems friendly," Merle added sarcastically, finishing the last of his food.

"Might take awhile for everyone to warm up to you. Andrea spoke good words about you last night so I think you're already startin to grow on them."

"You know about Andrea then?" Beth asked. Her father nodded.

"That she's pregnant, yes. Spoke about what Shane said to you and how upset you were." Beth could see there was some hope in her father's eyes, that all was not lost to them and they could rebuild their relationship. She knew there was hope, she just wasn't sure she was ready to forgive them yet.

The table stayed silent as everyone else finished their meals. Beth could feel Daryl place his hand on her leg, giving her comfort. It was nice to know that he was there, and would help her through this mess. Ever since this started, she just wanted back with her family, and now that she was with them, she wondered if it was the best choice.

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Sorry for being late with this, but better late than never. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Gonna be short today as my day is crazy and I barely had time to post this but I made sure I did cause you guys are all awesome!

Please review and let us know what you think.


	29. Chapter 29

Thanks to everyone who reviewed during the last chapter: G13, brady66, DarylDixon'sLover, castlefan83, StrangersAngel, Ela1980, Reignashii, moriahhh , arrowsandangels , Jasper'sCowgirl , malzateb , Tania Ibarbia, kevkye, nikole salvatore, jeanf, BubbaSue, Trixieviv.

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Beth woke up the next morning and could tell it was still early. The sun was just starting to rise, with it's warm colours spreading through the sky. The day before, they had gotten supplies for their rooms, some bedding and pillows, and some larger blankets to use as privacy screens on the doors. It didn't block out all the light, as she could tell it was morning, but it gave them some privacy for changing and sleeping in.

The day before was tiring as Hershel brought them around the area. He was an older man and didn't move as fast. Beth felt bad that her dad had to be the one that showed them around, instead of Rick who seemed to be the leader of this group. Hershel only laughed and told her that it kept him in good health to do the walking and he was going to rest afterward in his cell.

They were shown the bathrooms and shower and the attempted schedule they had. The toilets worked and the showers only produced lukewarm water but it was better than nothing. He showed them the guard towers and took them around the perimeter of the yard, showing them where everything was located.

Once Rick came to talk to them, they found it easy to find everyone jobs. Andrea had spoken up about them already and Rick was using her word to trust them. He put the boys on guard duty a couple days a week on their own, citing they could handle it. When groups went on runs, they had someone below, near the gate and someone in the tower. With another few people, it would make things easier.

Beth was put on cooking and cleaning duty and she really didn't mind. Daryl enjoyed the solitude while Beth liked being around people, getting to know them. Her family was happy here, as was Andrea, and she was willing to give these people a shot.

Lori and Andrea seemed to have something between them and Beth was beginning to piece together the puzzle. Shane and Rick worked together and were best friends and Andrea mentioned that Shane was angry about the wife going back to her husband. It was still unclear to Beth what that meant, but maybe she would figure it out.

Rick wasn't sure about letting the four of them into their cell block, even though there was certainly room. He wanted to protect his family and Beth was okay with that. She was with her family, and to be honest, she liked the privacy that she had now with Daryl. True, it was only a blanket that blocked them from Michonne and Merle, but two people were better than twelve.

They had to help out on fence duty the day before as there was some build up on one of the fences. They were told that too much pressure and these fences would be pushed down. They put the roamers down pretty quickly, but they were tired and sore afterwards. By the time Beth got their beds made up, they were just exhausted and fell right asleep. Now, in the early morning, Beth was itching for that alone time that she and Daryl had spoken of too many times.

She wasn't sure if he needed to be somewhere that morning, or if he had the time to laze around with her. At this point, she just needed something and waking him up was her first priority.

Beth turned over in his arms, so she could face him. He look so young and carefree is his sleep, and she loved just seeing him like this. It made her miss those simpler days of the two of them, sleeping in hotel rooms and driving around in his truck. She would give anything to get back to those days.

She pushed some hair out of his face, mentally noting that she would cut his hair in the next week or so. She missed seeing his blue eyes. They told her so much more than the words that came out of his mouth. He was a quiet man, but he could speak volumes to her with just one look. She caressed his face, sliding her finger down his cheek, noticing the stubble that led to the thicker facial hair along his chin. She always thought she was attracted to clean cut guys but that changed with Daryl. It was his ruggedness and roughness that turned her on.

Realizing, they were alone and on a time limit, she needed to move things along. He barely moved from her caresses, but she figured she was just touching the wrong area. There wasn't a lot of space between them but she managed to squeeze her arm between their two bodies and touch his member.

He still wore jeans to bed, not fully trusting this place yet while she opted to get back to just wearing his flannel shirt and panties. It would take some extra work but she unzipped his jeans and tried to get the button undone with one hand. Finally getting it unclasped, she moved her hand inside, pushing down his boxers and touched his heated skin.

It was disheartening to feel that he wasn't very erect yet but with a few awkward passes over the head and shaft, she could feel him start to harden. The angle she had her hand inside his pants, and their closeness, also caused her wrist to slide up against her own heat, and she could start to feel a dampness coating her underwear.

She moved lower, wanting to cup his balls gently and and she could feel his body start to move around. His hips thrusted up towards her body, almost begging her to keep going. His hand that laid across her hip was tightening on her skin, which sent a shock of pleasure through her. They had only had sex once and it was gentle and perfect for her first time. This time around, she could already feel something more passionate stirring between them, and the slight pain from his grasp was a welcomed domination. Any power he exerted over her was an act of pure trust between them.

She nuzzled her head into his neck and collarbone, kissing the skin that wasn't covered by his shirt. His breathing started to pick up and she could tell he was coming out of his sleep. He released the grip on her hip and brought his hand to cup her head, and bring their lips together. It was hard and fast, his tongue immediately seeking hers. She lost herself in the kiss and stopped pumping his now erect shaft. He had taken over this moment and she was going to let him.

Her hand got pulled away from between them, and he pushed her underneath so he could tower over her body. They continued to kiss as he starting grinding down onto her hips, creating a delicious friction between the two. She let out a moan into his mouth as he hit this one spot, right on her pubic bone that sent a jolt of electricity through her.

His lips moved down to her neck, sucking on the pulse point that drove her mad. She bit her lip to keep from moaning out, knowing that there was two other people within earshot of them. Her hands found purchase in his hair and neck, as he continued to move lower down to her collarbone. His hands were now undoing the few buttons she had done up before bed, and allowing the flannel to rest open on their bed. He kissed and caressed each breast, rolling a nipple with one hand, and sucking on the other. Beth tried to keep her moans to a minimum but when he bit down on one of her breasts, she couldn't help but let a squeak out.

He came back up, right beside her ear and bit on the lobe. "Better stay quiet or I'm not gonna continue," he rasped out. Her breathing hitched as he continued to kiss and suck on her neck and his hands moved down to remove her panties. Once they were pushed past her knees, he cupped her mound, feeling the wetness that had accumulated down there.

He teased her clit with two fingers, alternating between rubbing and tight circles. Her body moved along, wanting to feel the release it so desperately needed. He moved along her slit, to her opening to feel her juices coating all of her folds. He pressed one finger into her core, feeling she was still tight. He rocked his hand, pumping his finger in and out of her, while rubbing up against her clit. Once she was writhing beneath him, he added another finger, getting her ready to accept him into her body again.

She turned her head to muffle the sounds she knew were going to escape into the pillow beside her. She gripped his hair in one hand and the pillow in the other, ready to lose herself. Then he backed off, his body leaving her completely. She felt the coldness creep along her body and she turned back to see what he was doing. He had ripped off his shirt, pushed his pants off his legs and was currently ripping open the condom wrapper and sheathing himself with the latex. His speed shocked her but they were both desperate for this connection.

She pushed her panties off and sat up to remove the flannel off her arms. He pushed her back down and covered her body, kissing every inch of skin his lips could touch. He pulled her leg around his waist and directed his hard cock into her center, relishing in how good she felt surrounding him. It was tender but Beth barely felt any pain. He gave her a minute to accustom herself to his size and slowly started to pump in and out of her.

She grasped his biceps, digging her fingertips into his skin from the pleasure she felt shock her. She was already on edge from him fingering her, she hoped it wouldn't take long for her orgasm to hit her. His thrusts became harder, pushing to the very brink to bottom out in her. They both tried to keep quiet, by muffling their moans and sobs into each other. She could feel the tightening in her abdomen, and knew that she was close again. Her other leg hitched around him and she pulled him close, wanting to gain some extra friction between them. Her breaths were coming out in pants and his thrusts were starting to become erratic.

She could feel it starting to bubble up and with one final thrust, she was biting into his shoulder, moaning about how good it was. She could feel herself tighten around him and soon, he was pushing into her a last time before his body stiffened and he slumped over her. They both were out of breath as they came down from their orgasmic highs. His hair was sweaty and sticking to his forehead. She pushed it out of his face and kissed him several times on the lips.

He moved off of her and to his side, where he covered them both back up with the blanket. She snuggled up close, enjoying this down time and quietness.

"Can we do that again?" she giggled into his chest. He smirked as he was still getting control of his breathing.

"Gotta go out huntin' with Merle this morning," he replied, staring at the top of the bunk.

"Well as long as it isn't weeks again, I'll be happy." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. They were able to remain quiet for a few minutes longer, till they heard Merle get up and start moving around. Daryl sighed and let go of Beth so he could get dressed for the day. He kissed her goodbye and left their cell.

Beth busied herself that afternoon by familiarizing herself with everything in the prison. She knew how many steps, both running and walking, it would take to get from the doors of both blocks to the gates. Maggie watched her, perplexed by the behavior, but never said a word to her. She had muttered to Glenn that she had no idea who that girl was, or what else to say to her.

Rick and Lori had made it a point to stop and talk to her. They both were very interested in her time spent with Shane. Beth had told them only what they needed to know, that he manipulated all of them, including Andrea, to get the Dixons brothers to help him get to Ft. Benning. She mentioned the scuffle that was what had resulted in his death, but left out the part that she was the one that had killed him. Lori didn't seem shocked as she held her cheek as Beth explained Andrea's abuse. Rick's forceful glare spoke volumes. She could see the anger radiating off of him and it reminded her a lot of Shane.

She would make it a point to talk to Daryl about Rick as soon as he got back.

As she wandered through the courtyard she got to meet a few of the others she had heard about the day before. T-Dogg and Carol were headed to guard duty and ended up being quite late after striking up a pleasant conversation with Beth. The three seemed to hit off a natural rapport and Beth didn't find anything alarming about the two. She felt like she could trust them so she'd make sure to keep it that way. Meaning, she would tell Merle to keep his semi-racist, sexist mouth shut around them. Beth had a chance to observe Carl and Sophia pulling weeds in what would soon be a garden and noticed how the two seemed almost carefree. It reminded her of years before, watching Maggie and Shawn do the same thing; laughing as they threw dirt at each other. When she felt the burning of tears in her eyes she turned and quickly headed back to their block to shower and clear her head. She hoped Daryl would be home soon.

Home. Beth couldn't help but laugh. Home should be where family was and so far that day, she had spoken not a word to them. Real home was outside those fences, hunting meat to provide for these strangers.

Beth walked into the empty showers in the block and quickly undressed. She turned on the water, feeling the lukewarm liquid flow over her skin. It wasn't as warm as she would have liked but she wasn't about to complain about the chance to rid her body of the dirt and grime of the last few days.

She was so engrossed in the euphoric feeling of a simple shower, that she didn't hear him come in. She didn't hear his boots fall to the floor or his jeans as they were tossed aside. She only realized what she had missed when she turned to see him watching her, his skin matted with dried blood and a trail of clothing leading from the door to him.

"Hey. You ok?" Her eyes scanned his body slowly, looking for a sign of any wounds or bruising. He nodded

"Found a buck. Had to field dress it." Beth scrunched her nose up at him and raised her hand.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up then."

He smirked and took her hand. She pulled him under the spray of water and watched his eyes close as she ran her hands down his arms and chest. They didn't have any soap in their shower, so she made best with her hands and the water, getting him as clean as she could. She also couldn't help but let her hands slip lower and lower with each pass on his chest.

He was already hard, that much was obvious with their close proximity. Rising up on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss before turning him around to face away from her; allowing her the chance to give his back the same treatment she had given his chest. Once she could see the water run clear in the sparse light in the shower stall, she wrapped her hands around his waist and reached down. Her small hand could just barely wrap around his girth and she could feel the heat spread between her legs.

"Were serious about that 'weeks' comment, huh?"

"Damn right I was." She growled back into his ear. He turned quickly and lifted her up, surprising her and throwing her balance off. Thankfully, he was prepared as he lifted her up and put her back against the wall and her thighs over his shoulders. "What are you-" The question didn't need finishing. She felt his tongue sweep across her lips and a shudder rocked her body. Her hips involuntarily shifted off the shower wall so she was rocking against him. She was amazed that he seemed to know every single spot that would send endless waves of pleasure shooting through her body like lightning but not fully sending her spiralling into the abyss.

She wasn't sure when her hands had taken up residence in his hair, pulling and pushing him where she so desperately wanted, until he reached up and freed himself from her grasp.

"Time to get down now, Mrs. Dixon." Beth felt a jolt similar to the first orgasm he'd ever given her coarse through her body with those words. She let go and allowed him to put her back down on the floor.

"Don't have a condom," she mumbled, amazed that she still had use of her mouth.

"Don't need one," he responded as he turned her around, her back flush against his chest, as he ran his hands down her stomach and back to her folds. She was confused by his actions and could feel him between her legs, thrusting between her but never entering her. She felt the tension build in her as his movements quickened. He supported her as she cried out, her body shaking in his grasp, and doubled over from the immense pleasure. She could still feel him thrusting between her legs until he pulled himself away and groaned. She turned in time to see him grasp himself and expel his seed down the shower drain.

Beth caught her breath and looked back up at Daryl.

"I never thought not having sex could be just as fun." She said with a smirk. He mimicked her smirk and shut off the now cold water.

"Never said I was done with ya." He gave her a wink before drying off and dressing. She followed on wobbly legs back to the cell they had claimed.

True to his word, he wasn't done with her. Not by a long shot; she'd be sore in the morning.

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Every chapter that we write, I always ask Brandy, can we add some sex in here, or something. She finally said yes! LOL. We both want it, but she's smarter on when it's appropriate than me.

Thank you so much to Carla who helps us.

Thanks to everyone who reviews and follows. We're almost at 600 reviews, that's insane. We love you guys for it so keep those reviews coming!

A few people have asked, so i'll answer here. Lori will NOT be pregnant. That would just be way too weird to have two pregnant women, possibly by the same man. There will be tension between the two ladies. but Lori is with Rick now and that will remain until we deem it necessary to change that.

Also, some not so happy news. Brandy and I have gotten busier and life is getting in the way so we've decided to scale back our updates. So instead of two updates a week, it will only be once a week, on Fridays. We want to write more and have a few chapters written up so we're not scrambling at the last minute, which has almost happened a couple times. Once we feel more comfortable in where the story is at, we may increase the updates. We're not giving up on this story, we care about it too much, we just need more time in between now. That's why there was a lot of smut this chapter, to butter you guys up!


	30. Chapter 30

Thanks to all those who reviewed during the last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, Ela1980, BubbaSue, arrowsandangels, G13, StrangersAngel, Majestic butterfly, Tania Ibarbia, Reignashii, soniabell (x3), malzateb, kevkye, Trixieviv, jeanf, draegon-fire

We hit 600 reviews thanks to you guys! THANK YOU!

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They were surviving.

They had made it through the winter, mother nature seeming to reset herself with how harsh and cold it was. They had made plans through the fall and prepared themselves. They gathered coats, hats and boots for when they had to be outside. Thick blankets for their rooms. They only found a few fuel filled heaters so the four of them had to move in with the others, to retain the heat in one area.

Fresh food was scarce so they lived off canned goods. When Daryl or Merle were able to catch a few rabbit, they would make stews and soups. They rationed and portioned based off their small group, always making sure that Andrea would be eating enough to keep her strength up for herself and the growing child within her.

Hershel was the only one to have any type of medical experience, his days from back in the army, and the winter he spent going over midwifery textbooks and medical journals they had found on one of their runs. Carol and Lori were helpful, as they had experienced childbirth first hand, and told their labour stories to both Andrea and Hershel.

Michonne had stayed with them, citing the longer you stayed out there, the more savage you became. She was quiet and did her work. She ran runs with Glenn and Rick, Daryl joining them occasionally. Rick had gotten to know the younger Dixon through all the yard detail they did together and found trust and respect in him. He quickly became a voice in Rick's decision making for the group and when Rick left the prison, he felt better about leaving Daryl in charge during his absence.

Merle had his moments. He was his usual self, acting crude around everyone, but took young Carl and Sophia under his wing, showing them how to survive in this world. It turned out he did know the best hiding spots for drugs around the place. After a few days on a bender in one of the towers, he was locked in a cell for two weeks until he swore he would help them get rid of the rest.

Beth had made friends with everyone in the prison, especially Andrea. The two of them had organized all the baby stuff from the medical ward, and were working on breathing techniques for when she was in labor. Andrea was appreciative of all the help and when it was time, she asked Beth to be there beside her when the baby came.

The Greene family had come to terms with their turbulent past, eventually following Hershel's lead in healing the bonds of their family. He was certainly friendly to his new son-in-law. Daryl appreciated how much of a father figure Hershel was becoming to him and included him into the tight circle of family he had around him. Maggie was still weary of him, especially after Merle's antics that landed him locked up for those few weeks but she still made it a point to be courteous around Beth and Daryl. She could see how much the two cared for each other and that they truly did love each other.

Their relationship between father, daughters and sisters was still strained. They made the effort to see one another and talk things over but Beth preferred spending her spare time with Daryl, engaging in adult activity. Rather than point fingers on who to blame in their family dynamic. It was sad to know that she would never have those relationships truly back to what they were, but Daryl's steadfast devotion to Merle reminded her how important family was.

Daryl and Beth were still in the honeymoon phase, as everyone told them countless times. They managed to find a few offices and made one their own, stockpiling their condoms and some blankets. It was a safe haven for them, as it was away from the eyes and ears of everyone else and they could be much more carefree with each other. They still had their late night romps in their shared cell when they could be quiet, or their shared showers when everyone was out working. They made it work and all those boxes they hoarded during their time on the road, was still keeping things safe between them.

Beth and Andrea were currently sitting in B Block, in a room they changed to be a delivery room. It was away from everyone else, as to not disturb them when the time came, and it was far enough in that no walkers could hear the noise. Andrea was resting on the bed, while Beth was going over the midwife books.

"Says here that squatting down, can actually encourage rapid descent and keeps baby aligned in the birth canal." Beth informed Andrea.

"It seems we've been reduced down to the dark ages. Give me a stool and I'll squat the baby out," Andrea joked.

"Well, it certainly is dark so we might be re-entering that era." Beth laughed and looked over at Andrea to see that her smile had faded and she was thinking hard about something. "What's wrong?"

"If I ask you to do something, would you do it?" She asked hesitantly. Beth nodded and sat closer to Andrea. "If something happens to me, I want you and Daryl to take care of the baby."

Beth sat there stunned for a moment, as she took in what Andrea has asked her. "You're gonna be fine Andrea. We've gone through the books, my dad knows what he's doing-"

"There's still a chance that something could happen. I'm not young, there could be complications. If I die, and this baby lives, I want you to have it. Be its mother." Andrea explained. Beth's gaze shifted to the floor. She could feel the familiar prick of tears at the gravity of what her friend requested. She wasn't sure what she should answer.

"Please promise me Beth," Andrea said, taking Beth's hand in hers. Beth closed her eyes and took a breath, before look back into Andrea's eyes.

"Yes," her voice shaking. "I promise to love it like my own."

"I only trust you Beth. The others, they wouldn't care for this baby. You would."

"I really wish you wouldn't talk like this."

"It's the reality of life Beth. We're all living on borrowed time. I made a lot of mistakes and I could pay the ultimate price for it now," Andrea smiled, "Plus we're both blonde so the kid wouldn't even know."

Beth huffed but smiled back at her, "Seriously. Don't joke about it. I promised you already."

Andrea let out a laugh as they continued on their lesson for that day.

Even though Beth had plenty to occupy her mind, she still had that promise stuck in her head for the rest of the day. It was a big commitment from Daryl and her, as she would need his help in raising this child. It put a lot of thoughts in her head that she needed to sort out. She discovered that the best way to sort out your problems was to go along the fence and stab walkers in the head. She wasn't sure why, perhaps some type of tension release or something, but it worked and she wasn't going to question it.

That's how Hershel found her around dinnertime. She was the only one outside, apart from whoever was on the watch tower. She was going through all the questions in her head, how everything would work in every scenario, as she used the pointed crowbar and put down every single walker that was pushed up against the fence.

"I still find it odd to watch you do this, like second nature to you."

"Just got used to it. When this first happened, I could barely hold a knife," Beth grunted out, sinking the sharpened metal into another skull.

Hershel nodded, "Daryl taught you quite a bit, didn't he?"

Beth pulled the bar back, the body dropping to the ground on the other side. She turned around and took a few steps away from the fence.

"Daryl did, and then so did Merle. They taught me that these things-" she motioned towards the dead bodies, "-aren't the real threat. We know what they want and how to get rid of them. It's against people you need to defend yourself."

"I wish I knew everything that you went through."

Beth rolled her eyes and got back to the dead bodies.

Hershel pressed on, "I can see you've gone through a lot. I can see how protective those men are of you. I just wish you would be honest with me."

"There are some things you don't need to know about me, Daddy. I want you to keep a clean and pure image in your head of me. You don't need to know what's happened." He looked momentarily stunned by her remarks, almost as if someone had slapped him. She could see the regret sink into his eyes.

"I just wanna know you're okay, and that you're happy. That's all I ever wanted for my children."

"I'm okay, dad. And I'm very happy," Beth spoke with reservation in her voice. She knew her father could hear the hesitation but he must have chosen to ignore it because he left her to her own devices after that. She sighed and put the crowbar down, took off the gloves and apron and watched the clearing surrounding them.

You could barely hear the groans of the rotters, and could make out the chirping of birds from the trees. It was quiet and peaceful and allowed Beth to clear her mind for a few minutes. She could close her eyes and feel the slight breeze on her face, and forget what world she lived in now. Just as Andrea had said, they were all living on borrowed time, and Beth would make the most of every minutes she was given.

Daryl watched Hershel leave Beth standing at the fence. He had been out there watching her for some time and knew that look of determination meant she needed to work through some things.

They were always completely honest with each other. When she was ready, she would eventually come to him with whatever was bothering her.

It felt good to have someone he could talk to about anything, and have no judgement about his feelings or thoughts. Merle was never one for communicating. You said what you needed to say and that was it. With Beth, he felt things, experienced things he never thought he would. It took him over thirty years to be able to find his voice and it was just natural with her.

He knew whatever was weighing on her had developed recently. Beth's brooding form was a stark contrast to the night before and even that morning before they'd part ways for the day. She was happy, content and alive, what more could he ask for? Hershel passed by wordlessly, only a slight nod. They didn't need to fill every silence with words, there was just mutual respect there. He continued to watch Beth until he saw her coming back up the path to come in and eat.

"You didn't have to wait for me," she spoke, as she got closer to him.

"Just keeping an eye on you."

"I can take care of myself," she reminded him, wrapping her arms around his torso. His arm came around her shoulder as they walked towards the block.

"I know you can. Just like knowin' where you are," he said into her hair as he kissed her head. They were close to the doorway when it burst open and Carol came barreling through.

"Beth, we need you!" she exclaimed, snatching Beth's arm circled around Daryl's waist. Beth couldn't even ask what was going on before she was being pulled inside. Daryl was close on her heels as they came into the mess hall.

Beth could see the group surrounding one of the tables, low murmurs from everyone. She made her way through to see Hershel sitting with Andrea, looking at his watch, and holding Andrea's hand.

"Andrea might be in labor," Lori said from beside her. Beth could see the look of fear cross the woman's face as her eyes searched the crowd. Once they found Beth's reassuring face, relief washed over her features.

"Beth, please stay with me," Andrea said, using her free hand to motion over to Beth's form. The group parted to allow her in and kneel next to her.

"When did the contractions start?" Beth asked, looking at her father as he continued to look at his watch.

"They've been on and off all day, but they've been increasing in time and pressure in the past hour." Andrea panted as another pain started in her. Hershel sighed and dropped the watch down.

"They're about seven minutes apart. We should probably get you moved to the delivery room while you can still walk."

Andrea felt the pain subside and nodded her head in understanding. Everyone got up and started shifting out of the way, Merle coming up behind Andrea and helping her to stand. Beth moved alongside of them as they made their way to the courtyard.

"Guess this is really happening then," Andrea forced a chuckle.

Beth could feel herself tense, realization hitting her that the coming events could lead to either new joy and purpose for her friend, or the exact opposite. It felt too soon to consider she might have to uphold that solemn promise.

She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other, murmuring to herself, "Guess it really is."

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AHHHH, THE BABY IS COMING! Hope you guys are ready for that.

We had a major time jump here and we can see how comfortable things are with the group now. Everyone is getting along (as best as they can), and we're gonna find out more about these people soon enough.

Thanks for all the help Carla. Couldn't do this without you.

We're still writing and busting out chapters whenever we can. Can't wait to show you what next week has in store.


	31. Chapter 31

Thanks to all those reviewed: DarylDixon'sLover, brady66, Ela1980, arrowsandangels, kevkye, Tania Ibarbia, jeanf, Reignashii, moriahhh, Guest, bloodroseroxas, draegon-fire, lupadaisy, malzateb, rckyfrk, Trixieviv, nikole salvatore

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Andrea had been in active labour for several hours. Once she was moved to the delivery room they had set up, Beth was by her side, helping her get through each contraction. Hershel urged them both to rest as they were probably going to be in for a long night.

Carol and Lori came in multiple times to bring the women water and food. Andrea was only allowed simple broth and she had already thrown up once so they were being cautious how much she was taking in at a time. Hershel came in to check her dilation, letting her know she was already six centimetres.

Beth heard a knocking on the door of the office, and could see a tall dark figure behind it. She left Andrea, who was laying in bed resting, and checked on this latest arrival.

She opened the door a crack to see Daryl on the other side. She slipped out, leaving the door ajar.

"What's wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"Nothin. Just wanted to check on you both. How's she doin?"

"She's doing great. It's tiring and we have no pain meds to give her. But she's being a champ."

"Merle's been pacing the fences. Killing anything that's dead."

"You'd think he's the father." Beth sighed as she remembered the promise to Andrea. "About that. How do you feel about being a father?"

Daryl swallowed audibly and stiffened at her question. "You pregnant?" he could barely mutter out.

"No," she quickly corrected herself, "I made a promise to Andrea. If something happens to her, she wants us to have the baby." She could tell that he was relieved to hear she wasn't expecting but his brow furrowed.

"I thought between you and your dad, everything was going to be fine with Andrea and the baby?"

"And everything should be but she just needed to know. I don't want to think about that possibility, but it's still something we may have to do."

Daryl opened his mouth to speak when he heard Andrea began to moan in pain.

"That don't sound good," he grimaced.

"I'll go back to her." A loud scream ripped through the doorway and Beth was trying return to Andrea when Daryl grabbed her wrist.

"If it came down to it, we would make it work," he said softly. Beth gave him a small smile and went to Andrea's side.

She was curled into a ball, clutching the bed sheets, her teeth gritted. Beth came over and helped rub her back.

"You gotta breathe Dre. Deep breaths. You can't tense," she soothed. Andrea nodded and slowed her breathing, trying to gain back control. Once the pain subsided, she uncurled her body and lay back.

"They're getting intense. This baby wants to come out soon."

"I hope so, but your water hasn't even broken yet. Once that happens, it should happen quickly," Beth stated. She went back to the book and looked up what she was thinking. "Says here that you should try walking or standing. Helps the baby descend."

"I just want this over with already. So let's get this baby moving," she replied tiredly. Beth helped her get up and they paced the room together, Beth holding her up when a contraction hit.

They did this for another forty five minutes until her water did finally break, from there, it only intensified. Hershel came in around two a.m. and checked to see she was almost fully dilated. He started prepping his tools and getting everything ready. Uncertainty filled the room, drowning it in heavy silence. Even Andrea was too exhausted to cry out, instead recoiling and holding her breath as another wave of contractions racked her body.

"I think you're ready Andrea. If you feel the need to push, you go ahead," Hershel said as calmly as possible. Andrea nodded and took a few deep breaths before another contraction overtook her. She bore down, Beth counting to ten to give her something to focus on. After a few pushes,

Hershel looked up at Andrea's face and gave her a reassuring smile,"Gotta keep going. Baby's being stubborn."

Andrea could have cried at this point, wanting to just give up but knowing she couldn't. She kept going, Beth giving her the support she needed. The baby was descending but it was slow moving and they could tell that Andrea was tiring fast.

"We need to get her up more, This position isn't helping." Beth stated, as Andrea laid back on the table.

"We need someone sitting behind her, brace her to hold her up." Herschel added in agreeance. Beth thought about the options. She wasn't able to hold Andrea up and help her dad. They needed another person in here.

"Keep going, I'll be back," Beth said hurriedly, rushing out the door. She looked around and could hear footsteps around the corner. She ran and almost barreled right into Merle. It seemed he'd tired from clearing the fences and had moved to pace up and down the hallway. She grabbed him by his shirt, and dragged him behind her. "I need you."

"What?" he asked confused. Once he realized where they were heading, he immediately tried to hold back. "Oh, hell no! I ain't goin in there."

"We need you Merle, Andrea needs you and this baby needs you."

Merle grumbled out a reply but Beth didn't care to listen. She brought him in the room and saw Andrea was still pushing. Merle tried to retreat back out the door but Beth was strong and held him.

"We just need you to hold her up so she can squat down, help the baby descend."

"I don't need to be lookin at her female business. I like to leave a little mystery between me and the ladies."

"Don't worry. Just stay where I put you, look straight and you won't see a thing," Beth pushed him forward and got him situated behind Andrea. She was wearing a long shirt, so she was covered for the most part. Merle was given a chair and Andrea was instructed to lean back into him, hook her arms into his, and bear down.

Merle almost dropped her the first time, his face paled when she moaned out through the contraction. Beth was checking the baby's heartbeat with the stethoscope while Hershel was watching the progress.

"I can see the baby's head. Just about to crown." Hershel stated. Merle grimaced as he had a good idea of what came next.

"It ain't gunna sound squishy… when it comes out…" Merle's face was almost green and Beth just rolled her eyes at him.

"You can kill walkers but you can't handle this?"

He shook his head and focused as best he could at spot on the wall behind Hershel.

The position was helping Andrea and the baby was coming quick now. With a few more pushes, the finally heard the noise they were all waiting for. The baby's cries erupted in the room, everyone releasing a collective breath. Hershel caught the baby and was able to clear its airway and wrap it in a blanket.

Andrea was still leaning onto Merle, and they could tell he was definitely uncomfortable. Beth grabbed the baby from her father and instructed them to bring her back to her "bed." While they helped the new mom, Beth stood there in awe, watching this tiny, innocent child adjust to its new surroundings in its first few minutes of life.

"What is it?" Andrea breathed, lying boneless after that final surge of energy. Beth smiled at Andrea and moved the blanket to see the sex. She giggled and and brought the baby to its mother.

"You have a little girl," she whispered. She placed the baby in Andrea's arms and could feel the prick of tears at the corners of her eyes. Andrea only took one look at her daughter and was immediately crying.

Hershel came over and checked Andrea's belly. "Still need to deliver the afterbirth. Bethy I need your help." Beth grabbed the baby from Andrea and immediately thrust it into Merle's arms. He was taken back and stiffened up.

"I don't do babies."

"That's great. Too bad you have no choice in the matter," Beth retorted. She moved his arms to help hold the baby's head better and left him to stand there awkwardly, the baby bringing one tiny fist up to its mouth. Merle stared down, confused at how little the kid was doing. He thought they usually screamed bloody murder all the time. Maybe something was wrong with it.

He didn't have to stand there long before Hershel came back and checked the baby's heart rate and lungs. He didn't try to take the girl from Merle, just used him as a holding device so he could get his tests done.

"That's a healthy baby girl," he finally stated. Merle looked up with a furrowed brow.

"You sure?"

"As far as I know. Give her back to Andrea so she can try feeding her." Merle was glad to give up the kid but he stood off to the side for a minute, watching Andrea and the baby bond for a few seconds, before she was pulling her top down. Merle, being a boob man, was more than happy to stay now, but this time Hershel grabbed him and led him out of the room.

"Would appreciate if you can stick around here while I go let everyone know. The girls should get some sleep after this. But we need someone to keep watch. I'll get someone to come and relieve you," Hershel told him. Merle agreed. He sat his butt on the ground and watched Hershel make his way down the hallway.

It was silent, only a few noises coming from the room behind him. Once it finally hit him that he had witnessed the birth of whole new person, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Beth watched Andrea nurse the baby, only having to readjust a few times so it wasn't as painful for the new mom. She was kinda in awe of everything that happened.

"Thank you for everything Beth," Andrea said, stroking the sparse amount of hair on her daughter's head.

"You're welcome," Beth replied, "Did you have a name picked out yet?"

"Not really. I was terrible naming things when I was a kid. Everything was Mr. This or Mrs. That."

"Yeah, I don't think she deserves such a formal name," Beth giggled.

"There was this professor I had in college. He really pushed me and made me find myself. I think I would have given up and dropped out if it wasn't for him."

"What was his name?"

"James Avery. I think… I think I want to name her Avery." Andrea looked up at Beth, gauging her reaction. Beth could only smile as she tested the name in her mind.

"It's beautiful."

"Avery Elizabeth Harrison," Beth furrowed her brow, wondering where Elizabeth came from.

"I wanted you in there, hence Elizabeth."

"But my name isn't Elizabeth. It's just Beth," Beth clarified.

"Well, Elizabeth was also a family name. Amy was obsessed with that name so I think it would be a good way to honor both of you."

"I think Amy would have have loved her."

"You feel relieved?" Andrea asked. The baby was full and was sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Well, after how you were yesterday, I was worried that maybe you wouldn't have been able to take care of her for me."

"I would have. I just didn't want to think about anything happening to I."

Andrea shrugged, "It's always good to have a backup plan. That's all I was doing."

Beth stood and scooped the baby out of Andrea's arms, "You get some sleep. I'll get her settled and we'll do this again in a couple hours."

"Can we skip the part where I squeeze a human out of me?" Andrea joked.

"Most definitely," Beth brought the baby over to the small bassinet they had found on a run. She laid her down, and uncovered her. She needed a diaper and some clothing, and needed to be washed down a little bit. Beth tried to keep her settled but the cloth seemed to prove otherwise. Avery scrunched her face and made small whimpers as Beth cleaned her off. She placed the diaper on and left it at that. There was no way she was getting an outfit on this child without fully waking her so she kept the blankets pulled up.

There was a light tap on the door and a head poked in. Beth was happy to see it was other women crept over to where Beth was and smiled down at the baby in front of them. Beth was slightly taken back, as she had never really seen Michonne smile before.

"How's everyone doing?" Michonne asked.

"Exhausted, but healthy." Beth replied.

"Figured. Your dad came to let us all know. It's morning so everyone is getting up now. I can watch over them if you wanna go back and get some rest."

"Yeah, that would be great," Beth stretched and could feel how the fatigue and weariness. Michonne took a place beside the baby, and Beth made her way back to the block. She saw people wandering around, getting their days started and Beth just wanted to collapse.

When she reached her cell, she saw Daryl putting his boots on. He took one look at her and moved off the bed so she could get in. He tucked her under the covers tight, kissed her forehead, before making sure the sheet was pulled over the bars so she could get some sleep.

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BABY! So excited to share this with you guys! Hope you like the name.

Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and following our story. Love hearing what you guys have to say. If you ever ask a question, and I don't answer, I apologize. I read the reviews quickly and then forget to go back and respond. I'll try and be better about it.

Until next week!


	32. Chapter 32

Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, rckyfrk, moriahhh, Guest, Ela1980, Reignashii, StrangersAngel, brady66, arrowsandangels, draegon-fire, Guest, malzateb, Blue-10-Spades, Tania Ibarbia, kevkye, jeanf, Trixieviv, LilyMalf23

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Beth woke several hours later wanting nothing more than to roll over and fall back asleep. However, the bustle of the cell block was too great to drown out. She could hear Lori and Carol cooing over how cute the baby was just outside and they couldn't be ignored. Beth sighed and pulled back the curtain.

"Beth, I didn't know you were in there," Lori looked genuinely apologetic.

"It's alright. How's Avery and Andrea?" Beth asked with a yawn.

"Good. Just gave Avery back to her. She's been sleeping in between feedings."

Beth nodded, assuming that was from the natural part of childbirth.

"I'm so glad I had an epidural with Sophia. I can't imagine how hard that was for her," Carol wrapped her arms around her body and shivered at the idea of going through natural childbirth.

"I heard Merle helped deliver the baby," Lori started with a gleam in her eye, "How'd you get him in there?"

Beth shrugged with a smirk, "I didn't give him a choice. Just grabbed him and dragged him in there."

Carol laughed at her recount, "It doesn't seem like many people tell Merle what to do. I've thought Rick was going to exile him a few times."

Beth glanced at Lori and drew in closer to the women, "He can't say no to me. I might be smaller, but I've kicked his ass before."

The ladies laughed; unsure whether to believe her or not; and turned to head back to the lower level. Beth watched them leave and then made her way towards where Andrea was. She knew Daryl was likely on the fence so she wanted to check on her friend.

She was surprised to find her husband and her brother in law standing outside the room when she rounded the corner.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Ah- just payin' a visit to that little demon and the thing that came out of her last night." Merle snorted. Beth raised her brow at him and crossed her eyes, clearly seeing through his jest. Daryl watched the two interact. He couldn't help the swell of pride knowing that his wife could keep up with his crude brother and even one up him when need be.

He often recalled walking in and hearing Merle accuse Beth and Daryl of having plenty of time to talk about the day's activities and Beth responding that there was no time to talk when she was being fucked speechless. Merle had actually been the one rendered speechless and Daryl all but doubled over in laughter. He knew she'd tease him about that baby for some time to come as soon as Merle told him what happened.

"Have you done anything other than stand outside?" Beth pitched back.

"Course! I took a piss and got somethin' to eat. Man's gotta eat."

"He brought me something to eat, too!" Andrea shouted from inside the room. Beth quirked a brow at him and turned before he could see her smile. She knew Merle and Andrea were close, but she was wondering just how far Merle was involved. She could never see a romantic relationship between the two, but he looked at her like someone dear to him. She often wondered if the circumstances reminded him of their mother, but she would never ask.

Both Dixons followed her into the room, Daryl looking at her with an amused and content look on his face. She often found him watching her like that when she was dealing with his brother. She just assumed he was glad he wasn't the only one not afraid of his bullshit.

"How are you feeling?" Beth rubbed the baby's cheek as she rested against Andrea's chest and smiled.

"Like I just pushed a watermelon out of my-"

"I was there I don't need to hear it!" Merle stopped her with a shout, causing Avery to cry. Beth could see Daryl punch his brother out the corner of her eye as Andrea tried to settle the crying baby. With each cry and scream between last night and now, something nagged at Beth and she couldn't help but bring her concerns up now.

"You two took care of the tombs, right?" She asked with concern.

"Cleared it out with Lady Amazon last week." Merle quipped.

"Everything is locked up tight. If something gets through the wall, it ain't getting in here." Daryl elaborated as he came up and rubbed Beth's back soothingly. She smiled and kissed him quickly.

"Perfect."

"Worried about the noise?" Beth nodded in affirmation. Daryl smirked in response. "We all were. T-Dogg was chomping at the bit to get down there. Hell, Rick even let Carl go."

"Well it's only for another day or so. I think we can start getting everything ready for Andrea to move back to the block with us."

"So the little hell raiser can wake us all up?" spat Merle. Beth gave him a dark glare.

"Merle's right, Beth. I'm gonna be up every few hours with her, I'm gonna be waking everybody up and we can't have that."

"Where else are we gonna put you?" Beth inquired. There wasn't that many places left that she could go and still remain close to the group.

"There's those offices just down the row," Daryl suggested. Beth looked at him, trying to have a mental conversation with him about why he would suggest their private space for her to live in.

"Isn't that where you and blondie go to fornicate, when you think no one is around?" Merle asked with a sly grin. Daryl punched him in the shoulder this time.

"Yeah, I don't want to sleep where you guys have had sex," Andrea lamented.

"There's three offices, you can take another one." Beth suggested.

"Pretty sure that the Korean and your sister claimed another one. And Officer Friendly and Olive Oyl took the other." Merle explained

"You into voyeurism now Merle? You seem to know when and where people are going at it," Beth asked. Daryl was a little embarrassed that his brother seemed to know everything that he did with his wife, but found it amusing that Beth wasn't taking his shit.

"I ain't watchin. But it's a good thing I keep an eye on everyone round here."

"Well maybe use your eyes and find someplace that Andrea can go with the baby. She needs to stay close so she isn't by herself." Beth suggested. They were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. A head of white hair popped in saw the small group of people huddled together.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Hershel asked, taking a few steps inside the room.

"Nah, Merle and me are goin to check out more of B Block. See if there's more room in there," Daryl said. Hershel nodded, not quite understanding but learning to never question the Dixon boys. They did what was needed, without being asked.

"Was hoping to check on Andrea. Make sure everything is okay," Hershel turned to Beth. "Did you want to stay and hold the baby while I exam her?"

"Absolutely," Beth beamed. The boys left the room, closing the door behind them and Andrea allowed Hershel to check her over and make sure everything was returning to normal and there wasn't any issues. It was hard to tell as they didn't have all the proper equipment, but he followed the books he had read and everything seemed to check out just fine.

"You're both looking healthy. I'd say we did good," Hershel spoke softly. Avery started to squirm and they knew it was about time for a feeding. Beth and Hershel decided to leave them so that Andrea could feed her and get some sleep afterwards.

As they walked down the hall, Hershel spoke to his daughter, "Words cannot tell you how proud I am of you. You knew what needed to be done and you did it."

"I just coached her dad. You delivered the baby. You were the bigger help."

"I'm not just talking about the delivery. You did the right thing by leaving me. I was so lost in myself that I wasn't thinking about the people I should have been."

Beth stopped where they were, wanting to let him get this out. She needed to hear this and understand what he wanted.

"I was so angry with you and Maggie and Shawn. I felt alone so it just made sense to leave. I didn't want to be taking care of you when you were hurting yourself."

"I have a lot of regrets in my life. Losing your mother, Shawn, letting you and Maggie down. I regret the way I lost you." There was a slight tremble to his voice, "I know I have no right to ask you this, but I want my daughter back. I want that relationship back with you."

"Dad…"Beth sighed.

"I know it might take a while, but if this world has taught me anything, is that we are living on borrowed time. And I don't want my life to end knowing I didn't try my hardest to fix things with you."

Rather than speak, Beth hugged her father tightly, probably tighter than when they were first reunited. She didn't want to be mad at her father anymore. She wanted to start over, but it would take time and that was something she knew that none of them had.

"I'm willing to try if you are," Beth whispered into his chest.

"Maybe we can start having Spaghetti Tuesdays again?"

Beth giggled as she recalled her childhood tradition.

"You have a new family that I want to be a part of. I think dinner together once a week is something doable."

"Absolutely."

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Beth and Daryl were lying together in bed after having a vigorous round of lovemaking. They were whispering quietly to each other, going over their days. The boys managed to find another area near theirs for Andrea and the baby. A room with a locking door, they cleared the surrounding area, keeping all other doors secured with chains and padlocks to make sure nothing was going to sneak up on them. They emptied the room and were going to bring in the bed and bassinette the next day when Andrea moved in.

"You believe him?" Daryl asked, brushing some hair out of Beth's face.

"He knows he messed up. He's a proud man but he'll admit when he's wrong."

"So weekly dinner together? We the Brady Bunch?" Daryl smirked.

"Well, we are a pretty odd family."

"Still better than mine ever was."

Beth knew that as odd a dynamic their group was, it was still a step up from what the Dixon brothers grew up with. Talking about family, and after being around Avery, made Beth think about what their future would be like.

"I thought about what Andrea had asked me, bout taking the baby if something happened to her," she started, not wanting to make eye contact with him as she spoke, "I think we could have done it."

"Course we would have. It's what we do."

"And everything went great and my dad was able to deliver the baby with no complications. Makes me think that if anyone got pregnant that we would be okay."

"Between you and your pa, I think so."

"So what if we had a baby?" Beth almost whispered out. She looked up at Daryl then, to watch his reaction and his features seemed to freeze. "I mean, this could be our home. We're making it work and we're safe."

"We're not safe Beth," Daryl huffed, "Don't ever get comfortable enough to think we're safe."

"But we're okay here. We make it work."

Daryl sighed and rolled onto his back to stare up at the ceiling, "I'm not saying no Beth, but we gotta think about this. The baby was born yesterday, something could happen tomorrow."

"I'm not asking it happen right now either. I just wanted to let you know that I want it."

Daryl just remained quiet and Beth could tell he needed to process things. She wasn't going to worry until he actually gave her an answer. He just needed time and she would give him that.

She kissed his neck and snuggled up close to him. She was exhausted again from her day, and it didn't take long for sleep take her. Daryl on the other hand, had a million thoughts running through his head.

They had a good life there. They were surviving, they had their family and they had each other. He could protect her there. It wasn't the best situation, but they were making it work. The gardens would keep them fed with fresh vegetables, and he and Merle continued to hunt fresh meat. There was even talk about finding some farm animals to help produce other foods.

The more he thought about it, the more he knew that this right now was better than any life he had growing up and they were lucky to be part of this new community. He wasn't convinced they should have a baby right away, but he wasn't against the idea if they could keep this prison going. He loved Beth and wanted to make her happy but he needed to keep a good head on his shoulders. He was always one to see how things could go wrong and he wanted to discuss other ways of fortifying this place before taking that next step with Beth.

The more he thought about it, the more he knew they could make it there. This place could be a better life for them. They could live together happily, and with anyone else who came along. He fell asleep that night, not once worrying about the monsters that lay outside the walls. He held his wife contently and dreamed of what the future could hold for them.

 **End of Part 1**

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Yup, we're ending this here for now. We made the executive decision that we wanna work on the next part first and then start posting it. So stay tuned. I can't give an update to when that will be, but we're hoping not too long down the road.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey and for all the reviews and follows. We greatly appreciate all of it.

Thank you so much to Carla for being that guiding light.

Follow this story, or myself for updates on when Part 2 will start being posted. And happy TWD premiere weekend guys. Can't wait to get some fresh ideas!


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